The Early Upaniṣads in Sanskrit and English Parallel Texts

The Early Upanisads

ANNOTATED TEXT AND TRANSLATION

TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY: PATRICK OLIVELLE

THE EARLY UPANISADS

SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH
Series Editor
Richard Lariviere

A Publication Series of

The University of Texas Center for Asian Studies
and Oxford University Press

THE EARLY UPANISADS
Annotated Text and Translation
Patrick Olivelle

INDIAN EPIGRAPHY

A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit,
and the Other Indo- Aryan Languages
Richard Saloman

A DICTIONARY OF OLD MARATHI
Anne Feldhaus

DONORS, DEVOTEES, AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD
Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu
Leslie C. Orr

THE EARLY UPANISADS

ANNOTATED TEXT AND TRANSLATION

Patrick Olivelle

New York Oxford
Oxford University Press

1998

Oxford University Press

Oxford New York

Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogota Buenos Aires Calcutta
Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul
Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai
Nairobi Paris Sao Paulo Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Warsaw

and associated companies in
Berlin Ibadan

Copyright © 1998 by Patrick Olivelle

The Introduction, Translation, and Notes to the Translation
first appeared in slightly different form as an Oxford World’s Classics paperback
entitled Upanisads, Copyright © 1996 by Patrick Olivelle.

Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.

198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016

Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Upanishads. English

The early Upanisads : annotated text and
translation / Patrick Olivelle.
p. cm. (South Asia research)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-19-512435-9
I. Olivelle, Patrick. II. Title.

III. Series: South Asia research (New York, N.Y)

BL1 124.52.E5 1998

294.5*921 8- dc21 98-17677

3 5 798642

Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper

For

Ludo Rocher
and

Richard Gombrich

And in memory of
Thomas Burrow
and

R. C. Zaehner

This page intentionally left blank

Preface

In the summer of 1996, after the publication of my translation of the Upanisads in
the Oxford University Press series World’s Classics, the thought occurred to me to
produce an edition of the Upanisads containing both the text and the translation, as
well as variant readings and scholarly conjectures. I consulted with my two col-
leagues, Richard Lariviere and Gregory Schopen, who enthusiastically endorsed the
project and encouraged me to publish the volume in the new series South Asia Re-
search published jointly by the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Texas
at Austin and by Oxford University Press, New York. I want to thank Richard (the
editor of the series), Gregory, and Cynthia Read (executive editor at OUP in charge
of this series) for their support and encouragement. Insightful comments and criti-
cisms of the two outside readers were very useful and deeply appreciated. Anna
Shtutina read the entire Sanskrit text and the variant readings given in the notes; I
thank her for her patience and diligence. I want to thank the editors of World’s Clas-
sics for permission to reproduce here much of the material published in that edition.
My gratitude to the many individuals, especially Joel Brereton, who helped me in
the preparation of the translation has already been acknowledged in the preface to
that edition. Madhav Deshpande created the beautiful fonts in which this book is
set.

It may be useful to say a few words about some of the decisions and compro-
mises that have gone into the preparation of this volume. The translation and the
introduction as originally published in World’s Classics were intended for a nonspe-
cialist audience. I had the choice of completely reworking them for the more spe-
cialized readership of the current edition. Given the constraints of time imposed on
me by other research projects and academic responsibilities, I decided against it.
Such a reworking would have postponed this volume almost indefinitely. I hope that
even the readers of this volume will find the present translation and introduction of
some use in their exploration of the Upanisads. Another desideratum would have
been a Sanskrit word index. I started working on one, but once again constraints of
time made me decide against it. Readers can find an exhaustive index in Vishva
Bandhu (1945) and useful lists in Limaye and Vadekar (1958) and Jacob (1891). I
go into greater detail regarding specific decisions involving the edition and the
translation in my notes on the edition and on the translation. My hope, however, is
that even though I have fallen short of my own ideal of what a scholarly edition

Preface

of the Upanisads should be, this volume will spur further scholarly interest in these
important documents of India’s religious and cultural history.

The publication of this volume was aided by a University Cooperative Society
Subvention Grant awarded by The University of Texas at Austin and a subvention
from the Marlene and Morton Meyerson Endowment for South Asian Studies of the
University of Texas at Austin.

It is always the family that bears the brunt of a project such as this. My wife,
Suman, not only provided comfort and encouragement but also proofread the entire
manuscript several times. She has an eye for the detail and caught many errors, es-
pecially in the Sanskrit text. My daughter, Meera, was the model of patience as I
stared at a computer screen for hours on end. They provided an environment of love
and peace.

Austin, Texas
April 1998

P. O.

Contents

Abbreviations, xi
Note on the Edition, xv
Note on the Translation, xx
Introduction, 3

The Social Background of the Upanisads, 4
The Literary History of the Upanisads, 7
Vedic Rituals, 16
Vedic Cosmologies, 19
Human Physiology and Psychology, 22
Cosmic Connections, 24

1 . Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, 29

2. Chandogya Upanisad, 166

3. Taittiriya Upanisad, 288

4. Aitareya Upanisad, 315

5. Kausltaki Upanisad, 324

6. Kena Upanisad, 363

7. Katha Upanisad, 372

8. Isa Upanisad, 405

9. Svetasvatara Upanisad, 413

10. Mundaka Upanisad, 434

1 1 . Prasna Upanisad, 457

12. Mandukya Upanisad, 473

Contents

Appendix: Names of Gods, People, and Places, 478
Notes

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, 487
Chandogya Upanisad, 532
Taittiriya Upanisad, 571
Aitareya Upanisad, 578
Kausitaki Upanisad, 581
Kena Upanisad, 596
Katha Upanisad, 599
Isa Upanisad, 6 1 1
Svetasvatara Upanisad, 614
Mundaka Upanisad, 629
Prasna Upanisad, 636
Mandukya Upanisad, 641

Bibliography, 643

Index, 653

Abbreviations

AA

AB

ALB

AnSS

AU

AV

BhG

BKSGW

BR

BS

BSS

BU

BU(K)

BU(M)

CU

EVP

Frenz

HOS

IHQ

IIJ

IndT

Aitareya Aranyaka. Ed. and tr. Keith (1909). Ed. with Sayana’s com-
mentary (AnSS 38, 1959).

Aitareya Brahmana. Ed. with Sayan’s commentary. 2 vols. (AnSS 32,
1896). Tr. Keith (1920).

Adyar Library Bulletin.

Anandasrama Sanskrit Series, Poona.

Aitareya Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara and
Anandagiri, and Vidyaranya (AnSS 1 1, 1931).

Atharva Veda. Ed. with Sayan’s commentary by Vishva Bandhu.
Vishveshvaranand Indological Series 13-17 (Hoshiarpur, 1960-64). Tr.
W. D. Whitney (HOS 7-8, 1905).

Bhagavad Gita. Ed. and tr. W. G. P. Hill (London: Oxford University
Press, 1928).

Berichte iiber die Verhandlungen der koniglich sdchsischen Gesellschaft
der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, Philologisch-historische Classe.

O. Bohtlingk and R. Roth. Sanskrit-Worterbuch, 7 vols. Reprint of
1855-75. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990.

Brahma Sutras of Badarayana. Ed. with Samkara’s commentary (Bom-
bay: Nirnaya Sagar Press, 1948). Tr. with Samkara’s commentary by G.
Thibaut. 2 pts. (SBE 34, 1890; SBE 38, 1896).

Samkara’s commentary on the BS.

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad. Ed. with Samkara’s commentary (AnSS 15,
1939).

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, Kanva Recension.

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, Madhyandina Recension. Ed. in SB by Weber.
Chandogya Upanisad. Ed. with Samkara’s commenary in
Snsamkaragranthavalih, 5 (Srirangam: n. d.).

Etudes vediques et paninineennes. Renou 1955-69.

Frenz (1967-68).

Harvard Oriental Series, Cambridge, Mass.

Indian Historical Quarterly.

Indo-Iranian Journal.

Indologica Taurinensia.

Abbreviations

Int. Introduction to this volume.

IU Isa Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara, Anandagiri,

Samkarananda, etc. (AnSS 5, 1888).

IU(K) Isa Upanisad, Kanva Recension. Variants given in VS.

IU(M) Isa Upanisad, Madhyandina Recension in VS.

JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society.

JB Jaiminlya Brahmana. Ed. Raghu Vira and Lokesh Chandra (Nagpur,

1954). Partly tr. Bodewitz (1973).

JIP Journal of Indian Philosophy.

JOIB Journal of the Oriental Institute , Baroda.

JRAS Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.

JU Jaiminiya Upanisad-Brahmana. Ed. Limaye and Vadekar (1958). Ed.

and tr. Ortel (1896).

KaSU Katha-Siksa-Upanisad. Ed. and tr. Witzel (1979).

KaU Katha Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara, Anandagiri,
and Gopalayatlndra (AnSS 7, 1935).

KeU Kena Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara, Anandagiri,
Samkarananda, and Narayana (AnSS 6, 1926).

KS Kathaka Samhita. Ed. L. von Schroeder. 3 vols. (Leipzig: F. A. Brock-

haus, 1900-10).

KsB Kauslktaki Brahmana. Ed. Shreekrishna Sarma. Verzeichnis der Orien-
talischen Handscriften in Deutschland. Ed. W. Voigt. Supplementband
9,1 (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1968). Tr. A. B. Keith (HOS 25, 1920).

KS-H A. Hillebrandt, Kleiner Schriften. Ed. R. P. Das (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner,
1987).

KS-O H. Oertel, Kleiner Schriften, 2 vols. Ed. H. Hettrich and T. Oberlies
(Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1994).

KS-T P. Thierne, Kleiner Schriften (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner, 1984).

KsU Kausltaki Upanisad. Ed. with Samkarananda ’s commentary by Cowell
(1861).

LU Les Upanishad. Ed. L. Renou (Paris: Adrien-Maisonneuve, 1943-76).

LV Limaye, V. P. and Vadekar, R. D. (1958).

MaU Mandukya Upanisad. Ed. with Gaudapada-Karika by R. D. Karmarkar.
Reprint (Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institue, 1973).

Mbh Mahabharata. Ed. V. Sukthankar et al. 19 vols. (Poona: Bhandarkar Ori-
ental Research Institute, 1927-59). Tr. J. A. B. van Buitenen. 3 vols.
[containing Books 1-5] ( Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1973-78).

me metri causa , for the sake of meter.

MS Maitrayanlya Samhita. Ed. L. von Schroeder. 4 vols. (Leipzig: F. A.

Brockhaus, 1881-86).

ms(s) manuscripts).

MtU Maitrayanlya (Maitri) Upanisad. Ed. and tr. J. A. B. van Buitenen (The
Hague: Mouton, 1962).

MuU Mundaka Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara, Anandagiri,
and Narayana (AnSS 9, 1935).

xii

Abbreviations

PU Prasna Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara and Anandagiri

(AnSS 8, 1922).

RV Rgveda. Ed. with Sayanas commentary by F. Max Muller. 6. vols.

(London: Wm. H. Allen & co„ 1849-74). Tr. K. F. Geldner (HOS 33-6,
1951-57).

SA Sankhayana Aranyaka. Ed. V. G. Apte (AnSS 90, 1922). Tr. Keith
(1908).

SB Satapatha Brahmana. Ed. with extracts from the commentaries of Sayana

and Dvivedagaiiga by A. Weber, 1855. Reprint. Chowkhamba Sanskrit
Series 96 (Varanasi: 1964). Tr. J. Eggeling (SBE 12, 26, 41, 43, 44,
1882-1900).

SBE Sacred Books of the East, Oxford.

SII Studien zur Indologie und Iranistik.

SILP Studies in Indian Literature and Philosophy: Collected Articles ofJ. A.

B. van Buitenen , ed. L. Rocher (American Institute of Indian Studies;
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1988).

SU Svetasvatara Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara,

Samkarananda, Narayana, and Vijnanabhagavat (AnSS 17, 1966).

TA Taittirlya Aranyaka. Ed. with Sayana’ s commentary. 2 vols. (AnSS 36,
1898).

TB Taittirlya Brahmana. Ed. with Sayana’s commentary. 3 vols. (AnSS 37,

1898).

TS Taittirlya Samhita. Ed. with Sayana’s commentary. 9 vols. (AnSS 42,

1900-1908). Tr. Keith (1914).

TU Taittirlya Upanisad. Ed. with the commentaries of Samkara, Anandagiri,
Samkarananda, and Narayana (AnSS 12, 1929).

VaDh Vasistha Dharmasutra. Ed. A. L. Flihrer. Bombay Sanskrit and Prakrit
Series, 23 (Poona: 1930). Tr. G. BUhler (SBE 2, 1879).

VIJ Vishveshvaranand Indological Journal.

vr variant reading(s).

VS Vajaseneyi Samhita of the White Yajurveda. Ed. in the Madhyandina

and the Kanva recensions with the commentary of Mahldhara by Weber
(Berlin: Ferd. Diimmler's Verlag, 1852).

Weber Weber’s edition of BU(M).

WZKSA Wiener Zeitschrift fur die Kunde Siidasiens.

ZD MG Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft.

This page intentionally left blank

Note on the Edition

Let me state at the outset that this edition of the twelve early Upanisads does not in
any way constitute a “critical edition.” A critical edition attempts first to reconstruct
an archetype that is as close to the “original” text as evidence permits and second to
reveal the textual history of its reception and transmission through the analysis of
manuscript variants. Normally, a critical edition also involves the creation of a ge-
nealogical tree of manuscripts that permits an editor to select readings based not
merely on his or her own preferences and biases but on objective criteria. A critical
edition of this type has not been attempted with regard to any ancient Upanisad. 1

It is not only unfortunate but also a disservice to the field that many scholars,
going as far back as Otto Bohtlingk, have called their printed texts “critical edition,”
or “kritische Ausgabe.” 2 Few, if any, of these editors bothered to investigate the
manuscript tradition. When manuscripts are cited, they are few and not scientifically
collated. Even the two latest examples of “critical editions,” Maue (1976) and Perez
Coffie (1994), fall short of the ideal: much of their material comes from previous
“editions,” which, as we will see, are often unreliable. Maue uses six mss; Perez
Coffie uses the same six and five others. Of these eleven mss., only three are from
Indian collections. Although Maue and Perez Coffie represent a move in the right
direction and have in addition given us for the first time the accented editions of the
Kanva recension, unless a systematic survey of the Indian materials is undertaken,
all “critical editions” of the Upanisads will fall far short of the ideal.

The edition I present here is a “conservative” one. I have tried to be as faithful
as possible to the traditionally transmitted text, and I explain below the few occa-
sions when I depart from it. My decision to be a faithful link to the traditional
transmission was sparked by the inexcusable and often scandalous liberties that pre-
vious scholars have taken with Upanisadic texts, liberties that often amount to tex-
tual butchery. This is not the place to examine this issue in full, but a few examples
will illustrate the problem. The most egregious example of textual emendation

1. The only truly critical edition of a group of Upanisads is that of Schrader (1912). Salomon (1991,
48) also observes the lack of a critical edition of any Upanisad and wonders whether such an edition is
even feasible.

2. So, for example, Bohtlingk 1889a, 1889b, 1890a; Hertel 1924; Hauschild 1927; Morgenroth
1958; Frenz 1968-69. Even Oberlies (1995) depends almost entirely on the evidence of printed editions;
the only two mss. he takes into account are the ones already used a century ago by Max Muller.

xv

Note on the Edition

without any basis in manuscript evidence but based solely on “philological skill,”
where the philologist has the hubris to substitute his judgment of what is right and
wrong for manuscript evidence, is Bohtlingk’s (1889a, 1889b, 1890a) editions of
five Upanisads, in particular BU and CU. Whitney (1890a) already took exception
to Bohtlingk’s method, noting “Least of all to be approved, perhaps, is the tamper-
ing with the traditional text in pure prose passages” (409). What Bohtlingk did was
to put his conjectures in the text itself, relegating the traditional readings to the
notes, sometimes at the bottom of the page and sometimes in the endnotes, an inver-
sion of what should have been done. 3 Later scholars often failed to read Bohtlingk’s
notes. So, Senart (1930) follows Bohtlingk at CU 1.4.1: om ity etad aksaram
upasita, taking this to be the traditional text and not realizing that Bohtlingk had
dropped udgitham of the traditional text, which he places in his endnotes. Incorpo-
rating conjectures into the text itself becomes even more problematic when the edi-
tor changes his mind later, as Bohtlingk did in his numerous articles in the
BKSGW. Later scholars, however, did not read these articles and continued to re-
peat the emendations of Bohtlingk’s editions. Let me cite one example. CU 8.15.1
reads guroh karmatisesena. Bohtlingk (1889b) changes it to guroh karma krtvavi-
sesena. Senart (1930), somewhat reluctantly, follows Bohtlingk’s emendation,
without realizing that Bohtlingk had changed his mind in a later article (1897a) and
had accepted the traditional reading.

Reasons of meter (metri causa ) is a standard, and useful, principle of textual
criticism. When properly applied, however, it is used to decide between competing
readings given in the manuscripts. Many editors of the Upanisads, however, have
used this principle to restore the meter and to emend Upanisadic verses. Caution,
however, is warranted here because, especially in the later verse Upanisads, we are
not sure either about the metrical standards in use or about the actual pronunciation
of words; Alsdorf (1950), for example, has used Prakritic pronunciations (e.g., bhoti
for bhavati) to restore some meters without the need for textual emendations. Max
Muller’s (1879, lxxii) wise observation has often been disregarded: “The metrical
emendations that suggest themselves are generally so easy and so obvious that, for
that very reason, we should hesitate before correcting what native scholars would
have corrected long ago, if they had thought there was any real necessity for correc-
tion.” 4

The spate of emendations and conjectures introduced into the texts has made it
difficult in some cases to recover the traditional text and the variant readings found
actually in the manuscripts. The edition of Limaye and Vadekar (LV) is one that is
used frequently by scholars (e.g., Salomon 1991, 48), but the variants they cite are

3. In the CU, for example, Bohtlingk makes the following global changes without any manuscript
evidence: aitadatmya to etadatmaka, adhidaivam to adhidevatam , and somya to saumya, besides adding
and deleting iti at will. For a detailed study of such questionable emendations, see Olivelle 1998.

4. On the danger of correcting metrically incorrect verses, a good example is the three metrically
incorrect verses found with identical readings in both the Madhyandina and Kanva versions of the IU,
which is part of the Samhita of the VS. What would metrical corrections accomplish in such cases (see
Thieme 1965, 98)?

xvi

Note on the Edition

sometimes suspect. 5 For example, CU 4.9.2 reads kame, a reading that caused
problems for Samkara himself (although unlike his modem counterparts, he tried to
explain it rather than “correct” it). Deussen (1897) suggested kamam in a note, and
LV, suspiciously, gives kamam as a variant reading; my guess is that Deussen’ s
conjecture appears in the LV as a variant! 6

The faithfulness of the native tradition of copyists and commentators stands in
sharp contrast to the tampering of these texts by modern scholars. Space does not
permit a lengthy defense of this statement, but a few examples will suffice. At CU
3. 14. 1 we have the famous expression tajjalan, which caused problems for Samkara
himself. He was, however, faithful to the text, although his explanation may sound
fanciful to us. Bohtlingk (1889b) emends it to taj janani, a perfectly good and easy
form, without explaining how such a simple word could have become so “cor-
rupted” into an unintelligible jumble. Surely, the principle of lectio difficilior is the
bedrock of textual criticism. Salomon (1991, 49) uses this principle to good effect in
his excellent study of the linguistic peculiarities of the PU, observing that it is the
existence of a large number of nonstandard Sanskrit forms that argues for the supe-
riority of Samkara’ s version. Indeed, it is the faithfulness of the traditional transmis-
sion that has enabled Salomon and other scholars to study the “dialectical” Sanskrit
of ancient India. Surely, ancient commentators knew Panini better than most mod-
ern scholars, yet they did not feel the need to correct forms and expressions that
some philologists have characterized as “grammatical monstrosities.” Let me cite a
few examples. Hertel (1924) changes the “ungrammatical” kdmabhih of MuU 3.2 to
karmabhih, but Salomon (1981, 94) sees it as a nonstandard form found also in
Buddhist Sanskrit. Likewise, Hauschild (1927) changes the “ungrammatical” ceta
of SU 6.11 to cetta, but the traditional reading permitted Rau (1964) to see it as an
agent noun derived not from Vcif but from 3 lei (“to punish”) and to translate it as
“avenger.” And it was the “wrong” pronoun, the neuter tat rather than the masculine
sah, that enabled Brereton (1986) to produce his brilliant reinterpretation of the fa-
mous “great saying” tat tvam asi.

These observations, I believe, justify a return to the traditionally transmitted
text until truly critical editions of these documents become available. An editor’s
conjectures and insights cannot be substitutes for the received text, and they should
not mediate between the reader and the text. Lest I be misunderstood, I am not sug-
gesting that scholars should not seek to uncover the layers beneath the surface of the
text. Indeed, much light has been thrown on these texts through the philological
labors of scholars. I object only to conjectural philological emendations being in-
corporated into the edited texts of these documents. Scholarly insights and philo-
logical acumen are important for the understanding of these difficult documents, but
they constitute “higher criticism” and are best relegated to notes or incorporated
into translations and studies.

5. Among the many inaccuracies in the LV, some BU(M) variants noted in LV (e.g., BU 4.5.4) are
not found in either Weber or in Bohtlingk 1889a. There are, on the other hand, many BU(M) variants that
are not recorded in LV, e.g., BU 4.4.23-25; 5.5.1.

6. Other such suspicious variants are CU 4.9.3 prapayatiti, CU 8.6.5 urdhva akramate , both proba-
bly taken from Bohtlingk’s (1889b) conjectures.

xvii

Note on the Edition

I have given in the notes all the major recensional and manuscript variants that
I could cull from the existing editions, as well as the emendations, conjectures, and
suggestions offered by previous scholars. 7 Given the enormity of this task, I do not
claim that I have provided an exhaustive list of all such variants and emendations.
But collecting at least the majority of them in one place, I believe, will be of some
use to scholars and further Upanisadic scholarship. As Alsdorf (1950, 622) has said,
“Too often emendations made by one editor or translator go unnoticed by his suc-
cessors), so that the mere collection of all successful emendations made so far
would be no useless task.” Variants recorded by an editor are noted as “vr in.”
These variants may be from manuscripts or, as is most often the case, from other
editions. It would have been preferable, as a reviewer has suggested, to identify the
sources of all the variants given by different editors, but the sheer volume of those
sources made that impractical. A reviewer also suggested that I explain the reasons
for the emendations offered by editors or give their own explanations for the emen-
dations. Given the vast number of such emendations, however, adding explanations
to each would have made this volume unacceptably long for my publisher. So, un-
fortunately, readers who wish to pursue seriously the study of the variants and
emendations recorded here will have to consult the editions and studies in which
they originally occur. Since Bohtlingk (1889a) is based on BU(M), I have noted
Bohtlingk’s variant readings only when they depart from the BU(M) readings as
constituted by Weber.

I have departed from the traditional text in a few instances. In verses I have
eliminated external vowel sandhi when it restored the meter; this is nonintrusive and
does little damage to the text. Those of us who work with manuscripts know how
inconsistent they are in noting external sandhi. I have, however, resisted reproduc-
ing in the printed text pronunciations of words required by the meter, for example,
the pronunciation of semivowels as vowels (e.g., diauh for dyauh , ductu for dvau)\
they appear strange to the eye, and even in Sanskrit it is counterproductive to at-
tempt to duplicate in the written form all the subtleties of oral speech.

My most serious emendation of the traditional text is in the KsU. This
Upanisad has been transmitted badly, probably because it lacked an old commen-
tary. The rearrangement of KsU 1.3-4 by Frenz (1968-69), I think, restores a sem-
blance of order into the narrative, and I have followed his rearrangement in my edi-
tion. Frenz also rearranges KsU 2.8-10, but his reasons for that are not as compel-
ling. Frenz has put together two passages that deal with a rite to prevent the prema-
ture death of one’s children (KsU 8a and 8b in Frenz). But the traditional sequence
has its own logic: KsU 8 = rite on the new-moon day; KsU 9 = rite on the full-moon
day; KsU 10 = rite before sexual intercourse; KsU 11= rite when one returns from a
journey.

7. An exception is the minute emendations, especially of sandhi and of frequent words like sotnya
(changed to saumya), of Bohtlingk. They are tiresome and insignificant. I have also ignored the variants
in Little 1900 because he follows the text of Bohtlingk 1889b. I have not included obvious scribal or
printing errors, but here 1 have erred on the side of inclusion, because one cannot always be certain
whether a reading is an error and because sometimes even scribal errors can be helpful in determining the
proper reading.

xviii

Note on the Edition

The final issue relates to punctuation and the manner in which the Sanskrit text
is reproduced on the printed page. This is where the hand and the mind of the editor
intrude most sharply. Given the printed medium, an editor has to make choices; the
alternative is to reproduce the manuscript format, which does not even divide
words! It is an alternative few editors will follow. Manuscripts are notorious for
their inconsistency of punctuation. I have inserted the danda punctuations in the
most obvious places, taking into account both the meaning of the text and past edi-
torial practices. Readers, however, should not take these punctuations too seriously
in analyzing these texts. Having the Sanskrit text and the English translation on
facing pages has its obvious advantages; it also creates serious difficulties because
of the varying lengths of the text and the translation. I have had to divide the San-
skrit text into paragraphs with large spaces between them in order to accommodate
the English. The paragraph divisions sometimes follow the traditional khanda divi-
sion and sometimes the paragraph divisions I have made in the translation. Here,
too, readers of the Sanskrit text should not pay too much heed to these divisions,
knowing that the manuscripts themselves write the text in continuous and unbroken
lines.

Note on the Translation

Texts, especially ancient texts— whether they are the Upanisads or the Bible —
composed in a different language, at a different time, and by people with social and
cultural backgrounds and levels of scientific knowledge far different from our own,
pose many and diverse problems of understanding and interpretation to their readers
and, especially, to their translators.

A comparison with the methods we use to understand another type of data from
ancient societies — archaeological discoveries — is instructive. Archaeological find-
ings are only clues, and, just like clues in an investigation of a crime, archaeological
clues require the interpretive efforts of the investigator, who alone can unravel the
story behind the clues. A long process of interpretation, thus, precedes an adequate
understanding, a process informed by our knowledge obtained from other sources
regarding the culture and society of the people in question and by analogies with
comparable cultures. A similar process of interpretation is also required for an ade-
quate understanding of textual data and must precede any translation. Whether a
translator is aware of this or not, a translation is always an interpretation.

In an important way, however, texts are different from archaeological data. Un-
like archaeological remains, a text is a living reality; it is its very use and transmis-
sion by generations of readers, interpreters, and copyists that have preserved it for
our examination. The interpretive history of a text is especially rich when it happens
to be a sacred text, a text that is perceived by a community or a group of communi-
ties as religiously authoritative. Such, indeed, is the group of texts called “Upani-
sad” translated here.

Unlike archaeological data, therefore, texts, especially sacred texts, come to us
already interpreted. Dealing now specifically with the Upanisads, their interpretive
history consists both of formal commentaries and further commentaries on earlier
commentaries, and of interpretations implicit in their use as scriptural texts within
theological discourses and sectarian debates.

How, then, does a translator’s interpretation relate to this history of interpreta-
tion? The problem is further complicated by the fact that there is no one native in-
terpretation of the Upanisads; across time and sectarian divides, we have a multi-
plicity of interpretations. If a translation has a theological purpose — if it is produced
within a specific sectarian or theological context — a translator may choose one of
these interpretations over the others. I have chosen not to do so, even though, like

XX

Note on the Translation

most translators, I have benefited by the insights of commentators. I want in my
translation and notes to approximate, as far as our current knowledge permits, the
understanding of these documents that their authors had and the meaning they de-
sired to communicate to their contemporary audience.

Like any other historical work, mine is a reconstruction of the past. In this re-
construction, I want to distinguish the interpretive history of the documents, often
separated from their composition by a millennium or more, from their original con
text. Even though there are significant differences in purpose and content between-
them, one may, nevertheless, profitably compare the Upanisads to the Constitu-
tionof the United States of America, which also has had an official, and often con-
tradictory, history of interpretation by the Supreme Court. If I am translating the
Constitution into Sanskrit, what interpretation should I follow? I would follow none
of those interpretations and attempt to reconstruct for the Sanskrit reader the cultural
and social context within which the Constitution was drafted. My translation would
attempt to present the Constitution to the Sanskrit reader as a window into the world
of America in the late eighteenth century, and not as a living document still guiding
the destinies of the American people.

Both the Constitution and the Upanisads are living documents and play signifi-
cant roles in the communities within which they are perceived as authoritative. Acts
of interpretation of these documents are legitimate activities for lawyers and theolo-
gians of the respective communities, and the study of those interpretive histories is
an important and legitimate part of historical scholarship; but these are not, I be-
lieve, the aim of a translation. My translation is not intended to be a vehicle for
propagating religious truths (although, for some, it may perform this function) but
for illuminating the distant past of India.

This translation was first published in the Oxford University Press series
World’s Classics. For reasons spelled out in the Preface, I have not changed it sub-
stantially here, except for correcting a few errors and emending the translation of
some passages. The major emendations are listed at the end of this note. This trans-
lation was not intended primarily for philologists but for ordinary readers who have
little or no access to the original Sanskrit. I have not employed, therefore, the com-
mon defensive strategies of philological translations, such as placing within paren-
theses any English word added to draw out the sense of the Sanskrit. I expect my
translation to be accurate without being literal, to be readable on its own without
reference to the Sanskrit. I have used idiomatic and informal English, especially in
translating dialogues and conversations, but avoided vulgarisms, keeping in mind
that these are viewed by many as sacred writings. Although originally intended for a
different audience, I hope this translation will be of use also to the more specialized
and sophisticated readership of this edition in untangling the complex meanings of
these documents.

One notable feature of Sanskrit is its frequent use of pronouns without clear
antecedents; often the antecedent is not the noun that immediately precedes a pro-
noun. I have regularly repeated the noun when the use of an English pronoun would
be confusing. In dialogues deictic pronouns — that is, pronouns used in conversa-
tions while pointing to something — are used frequently; in translating such oral

XXI

Note on the Translation

usages into written prose I have often appended the item pointed to, for example,
“this right eye.” The use of these pronouns highlights not only the oral nature of the
original dialogues but also the continuing oral transmission of the Upanisads.

Phonetic connections between words abound in these documents and play a
significant role in Upanisadic thought. It is an impossible task to reproduce them in
English. I have attempted to alert the reader to the connections hinted at by placing
the Sanskrit terms within parentheses.

Three terms that cause special difficulty for the translator are prana, atman, and
brahman; they have multiple meanings, but in the original Sanskrit the identity of
the term recalls to the reader all the related meanings even when only one is primary
within a given context. To alert the English reader to these connections, I have again
placed the Sanskrit term within parentheses.

For the benefit of Sanskrit scholars who will be the primary readers of this edi-
tion, I note here some of the translation choices I have made. The Upanisads contain
numerous nominal sentences in which two nouns in the nominative stand in apposi-
tion; these have been studied exhaustively by Gren-Eklund (1978). In translating
these I have taken the first noun to be predicative (what Gren-Eklund calls the
“comment”) of the second (Gren-Eklund’s “topic”). Thus vag vai brahma (BU
4.1.2) I translate as “ Brahman is speech.” Likewise, when two accusatives stand in
apposition as objects of the same verb, I have taken the second to be the direct and
the first to be the indirect object. Thus, at ha ha vacant udgitham upasdm cakrire
(CU 1 .2.3) I translate as “Then they venerated the High Chant as speech.” In trans-
lating the particles kila and khalu, I generally follow the insightful comments of
Emeneau (1968-69) and Daalen (1988). And in translating iva I have followed Bre-
reton (1982); it indicates a clear affirmation, but in a general and undefined way,
rather than an expression of a doubt or an attempt to hedge (“as it were”).

Major Changes from the translation in World’s Classics:

BU 1.4.17; 2.4.10; 3.7.1; 4.5.11; 6.2.8; CU 3.11.3; 5.1.2; 5.2.2; 5.3.2;

5.3.7; 5.4.2; 5.5.2; 7.8.1; 8.1.3; 8.4.2; TU 2.1, 3, 4, 5; 3.1; 3.10.4; AU 2.1,

3; KsU 1.4b; 2.14; KaU 2.10-11; SU 2.2; 4.5; MuU 1.2.3; 2.2.2, 6, 11;

3.2.2, 4.

xxii

THE EARLY UPANISADS

This page intentionally left blank

Introduction

The Upanisads translated here represent some of the most important literary prod-
ucts in the history of Indian culture and religion, both because they played a critical
role in the development of religious ideas in India and because they are valuable as
sources for our understanding of the religious, social, and intellectual history of an-
cient India. The Upanisads were composed at a time of great social, economic, and
religious change; they document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the
Veda into new religious ideas and institutions. It is in them that we note for the first
time the emergence of central religious concepts of both Hinduism and of the new
religious movements, such as Buddhism and Jainism, that emerged not long after
the composition of the early Upanisads. Such concepts include the doctrine of re-
birth, the law of karma that regulates the rebirth process, and the techniques of lib-
eration from the cycle of rebirth, such as mental training associated with Yoga,
ascetic self-denial and mortification, and the renunciation of sex, wealth, and family
life. Even though theoretically the whole of the vedic corpus is accepted as revealed
truth, in reality it is the Upanisads that have continued to influence the life and
thought of the various religious traditions that we have come to call Hindu.
Upanisads are the scriptures par excellence of Hinduism.

In translating and interpreting these ancient documents, I have drawn on the
most current philological, historical, and anthropological research available to me,
research that provides glimpses into the social and intellectual world of the ancient
Upanisads. Some of that research is presented in the notes, and my debt to previous
scholarship is thereby acknowledged. Much of it is implicit in the translation itself.
In this introduction, I want to supplement and to organize the information scattered
in the notes — information that will give the reader the social, religious, and cultural
background of these documents, information without which much of what is said in
them cannot be understood. Given the constraints imposed by the very nature of an
introduction and the limits of space prescribed by the format of this series, it is im-
possible to explore fully that background. I have deliberately aimed these introduc-
tory remarks at nonspecialist readers, knowing that the specialists can fend for
themselves. My hope is that the information given here, although inadequate, will
provide a sufficient background to appreciate these documents within their histori-
cal contexts. My task is complicated by the fact that the Upanisads translated here
were composed over a period of about six centuries, a period which saw many and
far-reaching social, economic, and religious changes. My emphasis will be on the
early period, which produced some of the major Upanisads, including the

3

The Early Upanisads

Brhadaranyaka and the Chandogya, although l will deal with some of the doctrines
of the Samkhya and Yoga traditions and with the monotheistic and devotional ten-
dencies that underlie several later Upanisads.

In this introduction I have avoided speaking of “the philosophy of the
Upanisads,” a common feature of most introductions to their translations. 1 These
documents were composed over several centuries and in various regions, and it is
futile to try to discover a single doctrine or philosophy in them. Different theologi-
ans, philosophers, and pious readers down the centuries both in India and abroad
have discovered different “truths” and “philosophies” in them. That has been, after
all, the common fate of scriptures in all religions. Even in the future, that is an en-
terprise best left to the readers themselves, and the prudent translator will try to step
aside and not get in their way.

The Social Background of the Upanisads

Modem scholarship has unveiled to some degree the distant and long-forgotten past
of northern India. Prior to the middle of the second millennium BCE, this region was
probably populated by numerous groups of diverse ethnic and linguistic back-
grounds. About most of them we know very little. About one group, however, we
have a wealth of information unearthed by archaeologists early in the twentieth
century. This group of people built an urban civilization along the Indus River
(hence the name Indus Valley Civilization); it lasted from around 2300 until the
middle of the second millennium BCE and centered on the two major cities of
Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. 2 This urban civilization died without exerting any no-
ticeable influence on the civilizations that followed.

At about the time when the Indus Valley Civilization became extinct, according
to the commonly accepted theory, there took place a relatively large migration of
people from the west into the upper Indus Valley. 3 They were a pastoral but mili-
tarily powerful people who called themselves arya (literally, ‘noble’ or ‘honorable’;
whence the word Aryan). Modern linguistic studies have demonstrated that the lan-
guage of these people, the language in which the ancient vedic literature including
the Upanisads was written and which later came to be known as Sanskrit, belongs to

1 . For an eminently readable yet accurate, unbiased, and brief presentation of the main doctrinal
themes of the Upanisads, I refer the reader to Brereton 1990.

2. For information about this civilization see B. and F. R. Allchin, The Rise of Civilisation in India
and Pakistan (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982); Gregory L. Possehl (ed.). Ancient Cities
of the Indus (Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 1979); Gregory L. Possehl (ed.), Harappan Civili-
zation: A Contemporary Perspective (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1982).

3. The Aryan migration theory has been challenged recently by several archaeologists: see Colin
Renfrew, Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins (London: Jonathan Cape,
1987). Even though the migration theory possibly needs revisions and the Aryan migrations may have
occurred at different times and at a much earlier period, I think the preponderance of evidence still sup-
ports the view that there was an Aryan migration into India in the second millennium bcf. and that the
language of the Veda reflects the language of those Aryans. For the most recent study of this question by
leading archeologists and textual scholars, see The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia, ed. G. Erdosy
(Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1995).

4

Introduction

a family of languages (generally referred to as Indo-European) that includes Greek,
Latin, and most of the modem European and northern Indian languages, as well as
the ancient and modern languages of Iran. This distribution of languages suggests
that a related group of nomadic pastoral people migrated across Europe and toward
the east, settling first in Iran and finally in northern India.

The Aryans who came into India first settled the fertile land of the upper Indus
tributaries (the area of present-day Punjab) but soon migrated farther east into the
Ganges Valley. Although the material culture of the Aryans was much inferior to
that of the Indus Valley Civilization — urban culture, for example, would not rise
again for another thousand years — they left behind a vast corpus of literature, the
Vedas, and for this reason the Aryan civilization from the time of the composition
of the earliest Rgvedic hymns, probably in the last few centuries of the second mil-
lennium bce, until about the fifth century bce is known as the Vedic Civilization. 4

The Aryans dominated the native populations across much of northern India.
Their military prowess may have had many causes, but the horse and the horse-
drawn chariots that they possessed must have been an important factor. The horse
remained a central symbol of royal power in ancient India, and the horse-sacrifice
that figures so prominently in the opening chapter of the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad
became the primary ritual expression of that power. But their domination was not
necessarily numerical. “The evidence of widespread settlement in the Ganga Valley
by the late 2nd millennium B.C.,” Erdosy (1988, 101) points out, “would suggest,
that numerically the native population would have been overwhelmingly dominant.”
It is this blend of indigenous and Aryan peoples that constituted vedic society.

The subjugated non-Aryans appear to have been by and large relegated to the
lower class of an emerging quadripartite social structure: (1) the elite ruling cum
military class generally referred to as Ksatriya; (2) the hereditary priestly class of
Brahmins; (3) the large group of peasants and artisans known as Vaisya; and finally
(4) the Sudra group, which included a motley array of people, including subjugated
non-Aryans, servants, and slaves. These four social groups were called varna (lit.,
‘color’), the first three consisting at least in theory of Aryans.

These groups were not as watertight as the later caste divisions of Indian soci-
ety, and there appears to have been some mobility across the groups. The varna
division of society, however, has remained from the vedic period until modem times
the primary theological and theoretical conception of society in India, 5 and it under-
lies much of the discussion in the Upanisads. By the time of the latest hymns of the
Rgveda, probably the early centuries of the first millennium BCE, the varna division
of society had become theologically so central that a creation hymn (RV 10.90) de-
picts the emergence of the four classes from the mouth (Brahmin), arms (Ksatriya),
loins (Vaisya), and feet (Sudra) of a primeval man (purusa ), whose sacrifice and
dismemberment created the universe.

4. The best and the most accurate description of vedic society drawn from literary sources is Rau
1957. Witzel (1987, 1997b, 1997c) has provided the first ever social history of the vedic texts. Accessi-
ble, though somewhat dated, studies on vedic religion and mythology are: Macdonell 1898; Keith 1925.

5. For a discussion of the varna ideology and its use as a classificatory principle, see Smith 1994.

5

The Early Upanisads

How much influence the non-Aryan religious and cultural traditions may have
exerted on the dominant vedic culture has been a matter of much debate and contro-
versy. That there must have been some influence is unquestionable, but to identify
specific non-Aryan elements of vedic culture is, I believe, a nearly impossible and
an altogether futile enterprise. 6 As Erdosy (1988, 101) has argued, the very durabil-
ity of the social order that the Aryan migrants created indicates that the Aryans may
have utilized and exploited the social divisions of the non-Aryan groups themselves.
It is likely that the elites of these groups were co-opted into the Ksatriya ruling class
and that the Brahmin priestly class incorporated both Aryan and non-Aryan ritual
specialists. The Aryans themselves soon lost any collective memory they may have
had of having migrated from the west; none of the early vedic texts preserves any
such memory.

The influence of the native peoples was probably most marked in the economic
area. The Aryans, who had been nomadic cattle herders, adopted much of the eco-
nomic system of the natives; the economy of the vedic society along the Ganges
Valley during circa 1000-600 BCE was by and large an agricultural one, although
animal husbandry, especially cattle, continued to play an important role, and cows
were the symbol of wealth. Rice, a native cereal of the Ganges region, became their
staple food. There is also evidence of crafts, especially pottery, textile, and metal
work. The vedic texts themselves attest to the existence of trade and traders. 7 The
economy, however, was primarily agricultural and was based on villages; vedic so-
ciety remained primarily village-based until about the sixth century BCE.

Beyond the villages and their internal organization, there were broader political
units run by chieftains who ruled over many villages. “Already in the 1 0th— 7 1 h
centuries B.C.,” Erdosy (1988, 55) claims, “we can see the presence of a two-tier
hierarchy of settlements, and suggest that the largest centre existed to control the
movement and processing of raw materials, exploiting its position at the boundary
of two zones with distinct resources.” These chiefdoms were probably the largest
political units during this period, controlling crafts and commerce, collecting taxes
and tributes, and exercising military and judicial powers.

By the late vedic period these units had been sufficiently consolidated so that
we can speak of the emergence of kingdoms and a monarchical form of government
along the Ganges. By about the sixth century BCE — that is. during the period of the
first Upanisads — many relatively large kingdoms had been created. Kings and roy-
alty, as the Upanisadic evidence itself indicates, began to play an increasing role
both in the political economy of northern India and in the area of religious thinking
and institutions.

A major issue regarding late vedic society is urbanization. After the demise of
the urban civilization of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, northern Indian society was
essentially village-based. The available archaeological and literary data indicate the
rise of cities along the Ganges Valley between the sixth and fourth centuries bce. 8

6. For a discussion of this issue, see Olivelle 1993, 68-69.

7. See Rau 1957, 28.

8. The most recent and very readable study of the archaeological evidence for the emergence of
cities and states in the Ganges Valley in the sixth to fourth centuries DCli is Erdosy 1988.

6

Introduction

The cities functioned as administrative, commercial, and military centers of the
kingdoms. “If the previous period’s findings indicated a chief dom,” writes Erdosy
(1988, 116), “here we may justifiably argue for the first emergence of a state level
of political organization.” These relatively large realms facilitated commerce and
travel, permitting not only the distribution of goods but also the dissemination of
religious ideas and institutions.

It is, however, uncertain whether the urbanization of the Ganges Valley oc-
curred before or after the composition of the early prose Upanisads and what influ-
ence, if any, it had on the development of Upanisadic thought. The society and
culture reflected in these documents, nevertheless, are far different from those of the
early vedic period. At least some of the new ideas and institutions, especially asceti-
cism and celibacy, 9 1 believe, reflect, if not an urban environment, then at least one
that is in the process of urbanization. The vast geography known to the Upanisads
indicates the relative ease of travel and commerce across much of northern India.
They refer to the Gandhara region of the northwest and the Videha region of the
southeast, two regions separated by over 1,600 kilometers. People traveled long
distances not only to trade but also to acquire knowledge (BU 3.3.1). It is also inter-
esting in this context to note that there are very few agricultural metaphors and im-
ages in the Upanisads, while examples derived from crafts such as weaving, pottery,
and metallurgy are numerous. These crafts, of course, could appear in village life,
but the dominance of craft metaphors at least suggests a milieu somewhat removed
from the agricultural routine of villages. A close reading of these texts suggests to
me that, by and large, their social background consists of court and crafts, rather
than village and agriculture. The later verse Upanisads were certainly composed
after the rise of urbanization and possibly even after the creation of the Maurya em-
pire in the late fourth century BCE.

The Literary History of the Upanisads

The Upanisads, on the one hand, are portions of a large body of sacred texts collec-
tively known as the Veda and are thus an integral part of the fundamental scriptures
of most people we have come to call “Hindif ; it is in this manner that the Upanisads
have been transmitted through the centuries, and we should, therefore, consider their
position within the broader vedic corpus. They are, on the other hand, documents
composed and edited by individuals at given moments in history and in specific
geographical locations; we, therefore, need to look at the history of their composi-
tion.

The Upanisads within the Vedic Corpus

In the brief introductions to individual Upanisads, I identify each as belonging to a
particular branch of the Veda. The literature of the Veda was produced by and

9. For a summary of how this new urbanization may have affected religious ideas and institutions,
see Olivelle 1993, 55-58.

7

The Early Upanisads

largely intended for Brahmins. Different families of Brahmins became specialists in
different aspects of the many and complicated sacrifices that dominated their lives
and thought. These specialized family traditions developed into the vedic
“branches” ( sakha , sometimes also translated as “school”) within which specialized
ritual texts were produced and transmitted. The literary structure of the vedic cor-
pus, therefore, mirrors the division of the priestly community into branches special-
izing in different aspects of the complex sacrificial ritual. 10

The Veda is broadly divided into three sections: Rgveda, Samaveda, and Ya-
jurveda, but in time a fourth, the Atharvaveda, came to be added to these three. 11
The first identity of a Brahmin is determined by his affiliation to one of these vedic
traditions; I will explain below the different priestly functions associated with each.
Further “branching” of the vedic traditions took place as a result of numerous fac-
tors, including geographical location, ritual specialization, and doctrinal and ritual
disputes.

Each of these vedic branches has as its foundational text a “collection”
(Samhita) of verses or liturgical formulas 12 and a prose text (Brahmana) explaining
the meaning of the liturgy (see Fig. 1). The Samhita of each Veda is by and large
common to all its branches, even though some may have their own recension of it,
while each branch has its own Brahmana. The Brahmanas were not the work of sin-
gle authors, and periodic additions were made to them. These additions included
esoteric material explaining the hidden meanings of ritual actions and words. Some
of these esoteric sections of the Brahmanas came to be called Aranyakas (texts that
were to be recited in the wilderness outside the village), while others came to be
called Upanisads. The distinction between these two groups of texts is not altogether
clear, since both deal with similar material; some of the Upanisads, such as the Ai-
tareya, are embedded within their respective Aranyakas, while others, such as the
Brhadaranyaka (lit. ‘Great Aranyaka’), are viewed as both Aranyaka and Upanisad.
Cosmological and metaphysical topics generally occupy a more central position in
the Upanisads, however, than in the Aranyakas, and the Upanisads are, by and large,
later than the Aranyakas. Figure 1 illustrates the position of the early Upanisads
within the framework of the vedic corpus.

The vedic texts, including the Upanisads, were composed and at first transmit-
ted from generation to generation orally and within their respective vedic branches.
The reader will observe, and I have frequently pointed out in the notes, the many
instances where the oral nature of the Upanisads is manifest, as when the author
uses deictic pronouns ‘this’ and ‘this’ to refer to his two eyes, or ‘this (here)’ and
‘that (over there)’ to refer to the earth (or something on earth) and the sun. The

10. For a survey of this literature, see M. Wintemitz, A History of Indian Literature, tr. S. Ketkar,
Vol. 1 (New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corp., 1972); J. Gonda, Vedic Literature (Wiesbaden: Har-
rassowitz, 1975). For the social history of these texts, see Witzel 1987, 1989, 1997b, 1997c.

11. The Atharvaveda is not directly connected with the vedic liturgical tradition and incorporates
beliefs and rituals from traditions of healing and magic. Upanisads ascribed to the Atharvaveda are
generally late and were probably composed as independent documents outside the vedic branches.

12. The Samhita of the Rgveda is in verse and contains 1,028 hymns divided into ten books; the
Samhita of the Samaveda consists mostly of Rgvedic verses set to music; and the Samhita of the Yajur-
veda is in prose and contains formulas that are recited during a sacrifice.

8

RGVEDA

YAJURVEDA

SAMAVEDA

ATHARVAVEDA

Black (Krsna)

White (Sukla)

Rgveda Samhita

Taittiriya Samhita

Kathaka Samhita

Vajasaneyi Samhita

Samaveda Samhita

Atharvaveda Samhita
(Saunaka)

Aitareya Brahmana
Kausitaki/SSnkhayana
Brahmana

Taittiriya Brahmana

Satapatha Brahmana

Talavakara (Jaiminlya) Brahmana

Gopatha Brahmana
Chandogya Brahmana

Aitareya Aranyaka
Sankhanaya Aranyaka

Taittiriya Aranyaka

Aitareya Upanisad
Kausitaki Upanisad

Taittiriya Upanisad
Svetasvatara Up.

Katha Upanisad

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad
Isa Upanisad

Chandogya Upanisad
Jaiminiya-Upanisad-Brahmana
Kena Upanisad

Mundaka Upanisad
Prasna Upanisad
Mandukya Upanisad

NB This chart is not comprehensive, and there are other vedic branches and texts, which are not included because they do not have extant Upanisads.
The chart is intended only to indicate the position within the broader vedic corpus of the Upanisads translated or referred to in this book.

Fig. 1. The Upanisads within the Vedic Corpus

The Early Upanisads

writing down of these documents did not take place for perhaps a thousand years,
but the transmission was, nonetheless, very faithful — more accurate, I might add,
than most manuscript traditions — and the priestly tradition developed many, often
artificial, devices to ensure a faithful transmission.

Toward the last centuries BCE and certainly by the first centuries of the common
era, the role of the sacrifice within religion and of the vedic branches within
Brahmanical learning became less significant. Specialized traditions of learning
(sastra) came into existence, first Sanskrit grammar and then others such as relig-
ious law (Dharmasastra), political science (Arthasastra), and medicine, traditions
that cut across vedic branches. Even within ritual and religious practice, Brahmani-
cal thought came to consider the literature of all vedic branches — that is, the totality
of the Veda — as authoritative over individuals in every vedic branch. The Upa-
nisads themselves became somewhat detached from their respective vedic branches
and became the common property of all Brahmins under the generic title “Vedanta,”
meaning the end or conclusion and, in an extended sense, the essence of the Veda.

An early effort, probably within the first five hundred years of the common era,
to make a systematic presentation of Vedantic doctrines is the Vedantasiitra (or
Brahmasiitra) ascribed to Badarayana. 13 The Upanisads came to be considered the
section of the Veda containing salvific knowledge (jhdnakanda ), whereas the other
sections contained information about rites ( karmakanda ). As the revealed source of
knowledge, therefore, the Upanisads became the basic scriptural authority for most
later Indian theological traditions.

Given the importance of these basic texts, numerous documents, often espous-
ing sectarian viewpoints, were composed with the title “Upanisad,” and, at least
among some segments of the population, they enjoyed the authority and sanctity
attached to the Vedas; most of these late texts are ascribed to the Atharvaveda. Such
Upanisads continued to be produced possibly as late as the sixteenth century CE and
number in the hundreds. In the first half of the second millennium CE, furthermore,
the early Upanisads were detached from the Brahmanas of which they were a part
and, together with these later Upanisads, gathered into collections; the number of
Upanisads included in these collections varied according to the region, 52 being a
common number in the north and 108 in the south. 14

The Composition of the Upanisads

The second issue relating to the literary history of the Upanisads concerns their
composition. Who were their authors? When and where were they composed? 15

13. See The Vedanta Sutras of Badarayana with the Commentary by Sankara. Tr. by G. Thibaut (2
parts; SBE 34, 38; Oxford: 1890-96; repr. New York: Dover Publications, 1962).

14. For an account of these collections, the translation of fifty into Persian (Oupnikhat) in 1656, and
the European encounter with these collections, see Deussen 1966, 33-38. For a study on the date of the
late Upanisads and Upanisadic collections, see Sprockhoff 1976, 9-26, 277-95.

1 5. These are, of course, historical questions. Theologically, the Brahmanical tradition considers
the Vedas as revelation. The mainstream view is that they are without human or divine authors; they are
self-existent knowledge (veda literally means ‘knowledge’) ‘heard’ by ancient seers (hence sruti or
‘hearing’ is anolher term for Veda). Others consider the Vedas to have been revealed by God.

10

Introduction

These are difficult questions to answer, because the Upanisads have come down to
us as anonymous documents and, apart from evidence internal to the texts them-
selves, no external evidence exists regarding their authorship or dates.

Authorship: The issue of authorship is complicated by the fact that some of the
earliest and largest Upanisads — at least the Brhadaranyaka, the Chandogya, and the
Kausltaki — are anthologies of material that must have existed as independent texts
before their incorporation into these Upanisads by an editor or a series of editors.
Several such source texts are included in more than one Upanisad, leading us to be-
lieve that the editors at least partly drew upon a common stock of episodes and
teachings. 16

Some of this source material consists of dialogues, debates, and formal teach-
ings by famous teachers of the time, who are identified. Prominent among these are
Yajnavalkya (in the BU), Uddalaka Aruni (in the CU), Janaka, Pravahana Jaivali,
Ajatasatru, Sandilya, and Satyakama Jabala. 17 Many of these are, of course, Brah-
mins, who were not only priests but also the theologians and teachers within the
social hierarchy of the time. It is, therefore, surprising that several prominent teach-
ers of Upanisadic doctrines are presented as kings, or at least as belonging to the
Ksatriya class. The Ksatriya contribution to Upanisadic thought has been an issue
long debated among scholars. Many have gone so far as to claim that the creative
and new elements of Upanisadic doctrines were the creation of Ksatriyas. 18

The Upanisads themselves appear to lend support to such a view. They record
numerous episodes where a Brahmin or a group of Brahmins who claim to be
learned are worsted in debate by a Ksatriya, who then goes on to teach a new doc-
trine to them. King Pravahana Jaivali, for example, claims that the famous doctrine
of the five fires “had never reached the Brahmins. As a result in all the worlds gov-
ernment has belonged exclusively to royalty” (CU 5.3.7). Similar episodes are
narrated with reference to kings Asvapati Kaikeya (CU 5.11-24), Ajatasatru (BU
2.1), and others.

The relationship between the priestly and royal classes in ancient India was
complex. At one level it was symbiotic; the cooperation between these two groups,
in whose hands power was concentrated, permitted both to thrive. At another level,
the two groups were rivals for power and prestige. The entire Brahmanical ideology
of society and the science and practice of ritual were designed, on the one hand, to
enhance Ksatriya power and, on the other, to ensure the recognition by the Ksatriyas
that the source of their power was the Brahmin. It is naive, therefore, to accept the
literary evidence of the Upanisads regarding their Ksatriya authorship at face value
and as historical fact. Surely, these documents were composed and transmitted by

16. The episode relating to the disclosure of the doctrine of five fires is found in BU 6.2; CU 5.3-
10; KsU 1.1-2; and elsewhere (see Bodewitz 1973, 110-23; Schmithausen 1994). Further, BU 6.1-3
corresponds to CU 5.1-10.

17. For a study of these thinkers, see Ruben 1947.

18. See, e.g., Deussen 1966, 17-21; Horsch 1966, 427-41. Some scholars have explained the non-
standard Sanskrit phrases occurring in some Upanisads as due to the influence of a hypothetical Ksatriya
dialect of Sanskrit.

11

The F.arly Upanisads

Brahmins. Why, then, did they deliberately include episodes that placed them at a
disadvantage vis-a-vis the royal class? There must have been political, religious,
economic, and even literary reasons for including or creating these episodes. We
must bear in mind that the Brahmin community itself was not a monolithic entity.
The most we can say is that some segments of the Brahmanical community must
have perceived it as advantageous to present doctrines they favored as coming from
the royal elite. 19

This is not to deny, however, that the nobility surrounding the kings played a
part in the intellectual and religious life of the time. Indeed, at a time not too distant
from the early Upanisads, we have new religions such as Buddhism and Jainism
rising in approximately the same geographic region of northern India, religions
whose founders are considered to have come from the royal class. The doctrines of
the devotional religions that became part of Brahmanism are also depicted as being
taught by people belonging to that class, people such as Krsna and Rama, who are
viewed as incarnations of god Visnu. What is important, however, is not whether a
particular doctrine originated among the Ksatriyas, but that the new religious cli-
mate in northern India, of which the Upanisads were a part, was created through the
intellectual interaction among “new thinkers” within both groups.

The early Upanisads also present at least two women, GargI Vacaknavl (BU
3.6, 8) and Maitreyi, the wife of Yajnavalkya (BU 2.4; 4.5), as participating in
theological disputes and discussions. The fact that these women are introduced
without any attempt to justify or to explain how women could be engaged in theo-
logical matters suggests the relatively high social and religious position of at least
women of some social strata during this period. This is confirmed by a ritual for
obtaining "a learned daughter" recorded in BU 6.4.17.

Chronology: In spite of claims made by some, 20 in reality, any dating of these
documents that attempts a precision closer than a few centuries is as stable as a
house of cards. The scholarly consensus, well founded I think, is that the Brhad-
aranyaka and the Chandogya are the two earliest Upanisads. We have seen, how-
ever, that they are edited texts, some of whose sources are much older than others.
The two texts as we have them are, in all likelihood, pre-Buddhist; placing them in
the seventh to sixth centuries BCE may be reasonable, give or take a century or so. 21
The three other early prose Upanisads — Taittirlya, Aitareya, and Kausitaki — come

19. For a more extended discussion of this point, see Qlivelle 1993, 61-62.

20. See, e.g., the precise dating of various Upanisadic thinkers by Ruben (1947): Sandilya, 670-640
BCR; Uddalaka Aruni and Yajnavalkya, 640-610 bce; and Svetaketu, 610-580 bcb

21. Much of the chronology of the Upanisads and of other ancient texts depends on the date of the
Buddha’s death. The generally accepted date of around 486 BCE has been challenged recently. Bechert’s
dating of 355-375 BCE (“The Date of the Buddha Reconsidered.” Indologica Taurinensia, 10 (1981): 29-
36) has been supported by Erdosy using archaeological data (“The Archaeology of Early Buddhism,” in
N. K. Wagle and F. Watanabe (eds.). Studies on Buddhism in Honour of Professor A. K. Warder
(Toronto: University of Toronto Centre for South Asian Studies, 1993), 40-56. 11 the latter date is ac-
cepted, which I favor, then the dates of the early Upanisads should be pushed forward a century or so (see
Witzel 1989,241-51).

12

Introduction

next; all are probably pre-Buddhist and can be assigned to the sixth to fifth centuries
BCE.

The Kena is the oldest of the verse Upanisads and contains many of the themes,
such as the search for the one god who is both the creator and the agent of liberation
for humans, that recur in the four subsequent verse Upanisads. Of these, the oldest is
probably the Katha, followed by Isa, Svetasvatara, 22 and Mundaka. All exhibit
strong theistic tendencies and are probably the earliest literary products of the theis-
tic tradition, whose later literature includes the Bhagavad Gita and the Puranas. All
these Upanisads were composed probably in the last few centuries bce. Finally, we
have the two late prose Upanisads, the Prasna and the Mandukya, which cannot be
much older than the beginning of the common era.

Geography: The final issue regarding the composition of the Upanisads relates to
the geographical areas where these documents were composed. The land known to
the authors of the Upanisads was broadly northern India ranging from the upper
Indus Valley to the lower Ganges, and from the Himalayan foothills to the Vindhya
mountain range. We can say with a great deal of confidence that they were all the
product of the geographical center of ancient Brahmanism, comprising the regions
of Kuru-Pancala and Kosala-Videha, together with the areas directly to the south
and west of these (see Fig. 2). It is much more difficult, however, to determine the
geographical location of individual Upanisads. Several scholars have recently at-
tempted to localize vedic branches and texts using evidence internal to the texts
themselves. Although the results are not conclusive, this research is significant and
is evidence of a growing realization that in interpreting ancient texts philology
needs to be supplemented by the knowledge of the geographical region and the so-
cial context in which they were composed. I reproduce here some of the tentative
conclusions of Witzel’s (1987, 1989, 1997c) important studies; the map (Fig. 2)
shows both the important regions mentioned in the Upanisads and the areas in
which some of the individual Upanisads may have been composed. In general, we
find that the early texts of the vedic corpus were composed in the western and
northwestern regions, whereas the center of literary activity in the later vedic period
shifts further east, mostly to the Kuru-Pancala region; some were composed even
further east in the region of Videha.

In the case of the two oldest Upanisads, the BU and the CU, localization is
complicated by the fact that they are compilations of preexisting documents. On the
whole, however, the center of activity in the BU is the area of Videha, whose king,
Janaka, plays a central role, together with Yajnavalkya, who appears almost as the
personal theologian of the king. During the late vedic period the heartland of
Brahmanism was the central region of Kuru-Pancala; the Kuru-Pancala Brahmins
considered their land as the place where the best theological and literary activities
were taking place. They must have viewed Videha as something of an unsophisti-
cated frontier region. The entire setting of the third and fourth chapters of the BU

22. Oberlies (1995, 68) estimates that it is impossible for the SU to have been composed long be-
fore the first century BCE.

13

Introduction

was probably intended to show how Yajnavalkya defeated all the best theologians
of Kuru-Pancala (BU 3.9.19), thus demonstrating not only the preeminence of
Yajnavalkya but also the rising importance of Videha as a center of learning.

The evidence for localizing the CU is more meager, 23 but I think Witzel (1987,
194 n. 74) is right in assigning “a more Western than an Eastern location,” probably
somewhere in the western region of the Kuru-Pancala country. The great Kuru-
Paficala theologian Uddalaka Aruni, 24 who is vilified in the BU, and Pravahana, the
king of the Pancala region, play central roles in the CU.

Turning to the other early prose Upanisads, Witzel places the Kausltaki/San-
khayana branch of the Rgveda, to which the KsU belongs, in the western parts of
the Kuru-Pancala country. There is little evidence internal to the KsU itself that
would help its localization. In chapter 4, however, Ajatasatru, the king of Kasi,
which is somewhat to the east of the central Kuru-Pancala region, plays a central
role. The TU and the AU are more difficult to locate. Witzel places the early por-
tions of the AB in the northwestern region around the Sutlej and the later portions,
and hence possibly also the AU, further east in the Videha region. The early texts of
the Taittiriya branch, such as the TS, were probably composed in the northwestern
region of Kuru-Pancala. The picture is less clear in the case of the later texts, in-
cluding the TU, although a region somewhat to the north of the central Kuru-
Pancala appears reasonable.

The later verse Upanisads are much more difficult to locate both because they
hardly ever mention geographical locations and because they are less closely con-
nected to the Brahmanas of the respective vedic branches. The KeU belongs to the
Talavakara or Jaiminlya branch of the Samaveda. Although the early literature of
the Jaiminlyas appears to have been composed in the Kuru-Pancala country, this
vedic branch spread further south to the region where “the rivers run north”— that is,
to what is today northern Madhya Pradesh and eastern Rajasthan. It was possibly in
this region that the KeU was composed.

The KaU belongs to the lost Kathaka Brahmana; without the latter it is impos-
sible to determine the location of the former, which itself gives no geographical in-
formation. Witzel places the early literature of the Kathaka branch in the eastern
Punjab, near the River Beas, for it is here that, as the Kathaka Samhita states, the
rivers flow westward. Whether this branch was still located in that region when the
KaU, a somewhat late text, was composed is impossible to determine.

The IU, which comprises chapter 40 of the Vajasaneyi Samhita of the White
Yajurveda, likewise contains no geographical information. However, both branches
of the White Yajurveda were located in the region of Kosala and Videha, even

23. The hazard of internal evidence is demonstrated by a couple of examples relating to the CU.
The reference to hail in the Kuru country (CU 1.10.1) and the reference to rivers flowing to the east and
to the west (CU 6.10.1) may point to a geographical location in the northern Kuru region, where hail is
common and the upper tributaries of the Ganges and the Indus flow toward the east and the west, respec-
tively. But the meaning of the term for ‘hail’ is unclear; it probably means ‘locust.’ And even the BU
(4.8.9), a clearly eastern text, knows of rivers flowing in both directions; this may have been a bit of
geographical knowledge commonly available to people at this time, irrespective of where they lived.

24. He is explicitly identified as a Kuru-Pancala Brahmin in the SB 11.4.1.1-2, where he is said to
have traveled in the northern regions trying to draw the Brahmins of that frontier region into debate.

15

The Early Upanisads

though their early literature may have been composed in a more western region. The
IU is certainly later than the BU, and it is very likely that it, too, was composed in
that region. Since they do not form parts of larger vedic texts, it is impossible to
locate the SU, MuU, PU, and Mali.

Vedic Rituals

Even though the Upanisadic authors sometimes speak vehemently against the vedic
ritual, these documents are so closely connected with it that it is impossible to un-
derstand them without some knowledge of vedic ritual practice and vocabulary. Just
like the Brahmanas, the Upanisads seek to explain the hidden meanings and con-
nections of ritual actions and words. Their authors were masters of the ritual and
assumed a similar knowledge in their listeners.

By the time of the early Brahmanas, approximately the eighth century bce, the
vedic ritual had developed into a highly complex and very expensive set of sacri-
fices requiring the services of an array of ritual specialists. These sacrifices included
some that followed the liturgical calendar, for example, the daily fire sacrifice
( agnihotra ), the new- and full-moon sacrifices, the four-month sacrifices performed
at the beginning of the three seasons (spring, rains, autumn), and the offering of first
fruits at harvest time. Other sacrifices were offered for special reasons or on special
occasions. Such are the two major sacrifices that occupy a central positionin
upanisadic thought, the horse sacrifice and the Soma sacrifice, as well as the
anointing of a new king and the building of a fire-altar.

A sacrifice is offered by a man, a wealthy patron who in most cases must have
been a Ksatriya . 25 He is designated the yajamana, a term generally translated as
“sacrificer.” This translation is somewhat misleading because it is not the
“sacrificer” but the priests hired by him who actually perform the sacrifice. The ya-
janiana is the “patron of the sacrifice,” and it is on his behalf and for his benefit that
the priests perform a sacrifice. Only a married man accompanied by his legitimate
wife is eligible to become the patron of a sacrifice, indicating the centrality of mar-
riage within the vedic ritual religion. The patron undergoes a sacrificial consecration
called dlksa prior to a sacrifice; a man so consecrated is set apart from other people
and has to follow a stringent regimen until he takes the bath that signals the com-
pletion of the sacrifice.

The priests, on the other hand, are always Brahmins who have specialized
knowledge of some aspect of the sacrificial performance. As I have already indi-
cated in describing the division of vedic texts, there are three major classes of
priests. The Hotr is a priest of the Rgveda and is responsible for all recitations. The
Adhvaryu is a priest of the Yajurveda and is responsible for all sacrificial actions,
including the preparation of the sacrificial ground, building the fire pits, killing and
butchering the sacrificial animal, cooking the sacrificial offerings, and actually

25. Theoretically, however. Brahmanical law permits any married male belonging to one of the
three twice-born classes, i.e. Brahmin, Ksatriya, and Vaisya, to perform a sacrifice.

16

NORTH

EAST

SOUTHERN

FIRE

□ Seat for
Patron’s Wife

WEST

Fig. 3. The Sacrificial Arena

SOUTH

The Early Upanisads

throwing the oblations into the ritual fire. The Udgatr is a priest of the Samaveda
and is responsible for the singing. Each of these chief priests has several assistants.
The Upanisads mention the Agnldhra, an assistant of the Adhvaryu, and Prastotr
and Pratihartr, two assistants of the Udgatr. Besides these priests who actually per-
form the various rites connected with the sacrifice, there is another chief priest
called Brahman, who sits silently to the south of the offertorial fire. He is supposed
to be the most learned and to know the entire sacrificial performance. The Brahman
is expected to set right any ritual mistakes made by the other priests.

The central feature of all vedic sacrifices, from the simplest to the most com-
plex, is the ritual fire. All offerings are made in the fire, and it is believed that as the
fire consumes the offering, the gods themselves partake of it. The Sanskrit term agni
is, at one and the same time, the ritual fire and the fire god, who is regarded as the
mouth of the gods, for it is through the medium of the fire that the gods partake of
the sacrificial offerings.

During a vedic sacrifice, normally three ritual fires were used: the household-
er’s fire ( gdrhapatya ), the southern fire ( anvaharyapacana or simply daksinagni),
and the offertorial fire ( ahavanlya ). These fires are placed in the hollow of fire pits
of different shapes. The householder’s fire is located in the west; the southern fire is
somewhat to the south and east of it; and the offertorial fire is directly to the east of
it (see Fig. 2). At the beginning of the sacrifice, the householder’s fire is lit first,
using a fire newly produced by churning the fire-drills (see BU 1 .4.6n). After that,
the other two fires are lit with coals from the householder’s fire. Two other ritual
fires are also noted in the Upanisads. They are the domestic fire, lit on the day of a
man’s marriage and continuously maintained in the kitchen hearth, and the so-called
assembly fire, probably associated with a king’s assembly hall. Thus one hears often
of the “five fires,” and they are frequently connected with the fire breaths of a per-
son (see BU 1.5.3n).

Between the householder’s and the offertorial fires there is a rectangular area
with concave sides (said to resemble the female body) called vedi. This sacred area
is covered with sacred grass, and the sacrificial tools and utensils (knives, pots,
cups, and the like) are placed there.

There are three types of sacred utterances used in a ritual: the rc, the yajus, and
the sdman. These three are drawn respectively from the collections (Samhita) of the
Rgveda, Yajurveda, and the Samaveda, and recited or sung by the three classes of
priests mentioned above. These utterances are the subject of intense scrutiny and
speculation in the Upanisads.

Finally, there is the daksina, the sacrificial fee or gift given by the patron to the
officiating priests. It was only natural that it should be viewed as something quite
important by Brahmins; their economic survival depended on it. Brahmanical theol-
ogy invested the daksina with enormous power and importance and considered it
the very foundation of the sacrifice, thereby encouraging the patrons to give gener-
ously. The very outcome and efficacy of a ritual was believed to be dependent on
the size of the sacrificial fee.

Of the numerous sacrifices described in the vedic literature, two are singled out

18

Introduction

for discussion in the Upanisads: the horse sacrifice and the Soma sacrifice . 26 These
are long and complex sacrifices, and I will delineate here only a few major points of
each.

The horse sacrifice is performed by a king both to demonstrate his sovereignty
and to ritually enhance his dominion. A fine horse with great speed and possessing
special bodily marks and colors is selected and, after an elaborate ritual, set free to
roam at will for a whole year. It is guarded by the king’s troops. Each day during
this year special sacrifices are offered in the presence of the king, and priests recite
tales and legends in ten-day cycles. At the end of the year the horse is brought back,
killed, and its various parts cooked and offered in sacrifice, a procedure that takes
three days.

There are seven types of Soma sacrifices. Chief of these is called Agnistoma
(lit., ‘Praise of Fire’), and the other Soma sacrifices are modeled after this. The
Agnistoma is a rite intended to be performed during the spring and within a single
day, although subsidiary rites are spread over several days. The central ceremony is
the pressing of the Soma plants, generally by pounding with stones, to obtain the
juice. During the day of the pressing, the Soma is pressed three times — in the
morning, at noon, and in the evening — and a goat is sacrificed. The juice of the
Soma is strained, mixed with milk, and offered to the gods in the fire and drunk by
the priests.

There has been much scholarly speculation about the identity of this plant. Its
likely home was the hills of the northwestern regions, possibly extending into Af-
ghanistan and Iran, since it was known also to the ancient Iranians. Already during
the late vedic period, when the center of Brahmanism had shifted to the Ganges
Valley, this plant was difficult to obtain; the ritual itself calls for the purchase of the
plant, and several substitutes are permitted. Its importance in the ritual is evidenced
by the fact that the entire ninth book of the Rgveda Samhita consists of Soma
hymns. Soma also became a focus of ritual speculation. It was considered the drink
of the gods, the drink that made gods immortal and confers immortality on mortals.
Soma is contained in the moon, and the drinking of that Soma by the gods explains
the waning of the moon. Every month the moon is replenished with Soma and thus
waxes. Often in these documents. Soma is another name for the moon.

Vedic Cosmologies

During the early vedic period the universe was viewed as consisting of three spheres
( loka ): the earth, the sky or firmament, and the space between these two, the inter-
mediate region. The ancient Indians shared this tripartite cosmology with other
Indo-European peoples. The phenomena associated with the sky and the intermedi-
ate region drew the attention of the early vedic poets in a special way: the rain

26. The most convenient place to read about these, as well as the daily fire sacrifice and the build-
ing of the fire-altar dealt with in the KaU, is Kane 1962-75, ii. 976-1255. The Soma sacrifice is de-
scribed in detail in Caland and Henry 1906.

19

The Early Upanisads

clouds, lightning, thunder, wind, storm, and rain in the intermediate region, and the
sun, moon, stars, and the brilliant vault of heaven in the sky.

This tripartite universe was controlled by personal powers, the gods. For the
most part, these gods are associated with their natural counterparts, such as the sun,
moon, storm, rivers, and fire. Often the Sanskrit names of the gods are identical to
the names of the corresponding cosmic entity; thus, Surya is the Sun and Agni is the
Fire. Sometimes the names vary, but the connection with the cosmic phenomena is
unmistakable; thus Indra is connected with thunder and the releasing of waters; his
weapon is the thunderbolt (BU 3.9.6).

In the early vedic period the gods themselves are distributed among the three
spheres: there are the gods of the earth, the gods of the intermediate region, and the
gods of the sky. Although this distribution persists, the gods came to be generally
located in the sky, the realm of light and immortality. The Sanskrit terms for these
three spheres — bhur, bhuvas, svar — became sacred sounds, possibly because they
contained the totality of the universe (see CU 2.23.2n). Much Upanisadic specula-
tion centers on the hidden meaning of these sounds.

In recent studies of vedic cosmology, Witzel (1984) and Brereton (1991) have
drawn attention to the importance of the Milky Way and the stars around the pole-
star. Witzel has shown that the expression svarga loka (lit., ‘bright world’ com-
monly translated as ‘heavenly world’) refers specifically to the Milky Way. The
door to this world is located at the mouth of the two arms extending toward the east
from the Milky Way viewed during the winter months in northern India, which ex-
plains the importance of the east and the northeast in the ritual and in cosmological
speculations. The Milky Way is also the bright ocean of heaven, the celestial waters;
it is the source of the rivers that flow from the Himalayan mountains, thus connect-
ing the earthly to the celestial waters.

By the late vedic period, however, we note the emergence of a new plan of the
universe with seven spheres, positing three farther regions beyond the sky, called
Mahas, Janas, and Tapas, and the farthest world named Satyaloka (‘world of truth’)
or Brahmaloka (‘world of Brahman’). Parallel to these seven upper or pleasant
worlds, texts from a much later period posit seven descending and unpleasant
worlds or hells, but the Upanisads show no sign of such a conception.

Another conception of the universe divides it into the world of humans, the
world of ancestors or fathers, and the world of gods (BU 1.5.16). Although less tied
to observable reality, it is more significant for beliefs regarding the afterlife. The
world of humans is, of course, the observable world in which our normal lives are
lived. During the early period all humans, or at least those who had lived a ritually
correct life, were believed to go to the world of fathers, but the Upanisads reveal a
new perception of that world, according to which only those who are destined to
return to and to be reborn in this world follow the path to the world of the fathers,
while those destined not to return and to become immortal proceed to the world of
the gods (see BU 6.2 and parallels).

This new conception is tied to an emergent worldview centered on the doctrine
of rebirth. The manner in which the rebirth process was thought to operate is similar
to that in which Brahmanical thought viewed the operation of ritual actions. Rites

20

Introduction

achieve their results by their own autonomous power and according to a ritual law
of cause and effect; ritual success does not depend on the will of a god. The moral
law that governs the rebirth process operates in a similar manner; those who per-
form good actions are reborn in good situations, while those who do the opposite
proceed to evil births (CU 5.10.7). The correlation between the ritual and ethical
spheres apparent in these early texts is made easier by the fact that the same Sanskrit
term, karman (lit. ‘action’), is used for both ritual and moral actions. The ethiciza-
tion of cosmic processes evident in the Upanisads, moreover, remains a constant
feature of later Indian cosmologies.

The early view of the mechanism of rebirth and of the escape from the rebirth
cycle as depicted in the famous doctrine of five fires (BU 6.2) is tied to the old view
of a tripartite and enclosed universe. The firmament, the vault of heaven, is viewed
as a solid cover. After they are cremated, humans destined to be reborn go up to the
moon in the form of smoke or vapor; from there they return to earth as rain, enter
plants, and, when they are eaten by a man, become semen. They finally take on a
new life in the womb of a woman. The universe is thus a prison with walls above
(firmament) and below (earth). Those who possess the liberating knowledge, how-
ever, are able to break this cycle, to escape from this prison. The sun is viewed as a
lid that covers the only opening in the vault of heaven, the only door to freedom; the
sun permits the liberated individuals to pass through that opening and escape to the
immortal condition outside the universe.

Another central concern of the Upanisadic thinkers relates to the “beginnings”;
the expression “in the beginning” (agre) is frequent and opens the narrative of crea-
tion stories. The creator, the source from which creation emerged, most often is
Prajapati, the principal creator god of the Brahmanas, who is identified with the sac-
rifice itself (BU 3.9.6). The other two principles located at the “beginning” with
some frequency are Brahman and Atman, which I will discuss below.

By the time of the later verse Upanisads, such as the Svetasvatara, new and
more theoretical cosmologies had emerged, the most prominent of which is that
associated with the Samkhya and Yoga traditions. Since these are some of the oldest
documents reflecting Samkhya conceptions of the universe, the precise cosmology
underlying them is unclear; that cosmology is certainly different from the classical
accounts of Samkhya cosmology contained in scholastic works of later times. Like
the latter, however, this early cosmology posits a material source, a primal matter,
called prakrti or pradhdna. This primal matter, originally unmanifest, contains three
qualities or strands ( guna ): goodness ( sattva ), energy (rajas), and darkness (tamas).
The visible and manifest universe has proceeded from the original primal matter;
the three qualities are distributed in different proportions within the various con-
stituents of the universe. Unlike classical Samkhya, however, this early cosmology
posits a single and unique god who rules over the primal matter and regulates the
production of the visible universe from it. Besides primal matter and god, there are
the individual souls of humans, souls that are trapped within material bodies pro-
duced by primal matter. It is through the help of god that these souls can hope to be
liberated from the material prison.

21

The Early Upanisads

Human Physiology and Psychology

Although ritual and cosmological speculations abound in the Upanisads, the focus
of their inquiry is the human person — the construction of the body, its vital powers
and faculties, the cognitive processes, and the essential core of a human being. It is,
of course, not surprising that the human being is a central concern of human
thought; religious doctrines throughout the world tend to be anthropocentric.

In ancient India, however, the human body was invested with unparalleled
cosmological significance, and parts of the body were homologized with cosmic
phenomena. I have made reference to the ancient cosmogonic hymn found in the
Rgveda (10.90) and predating the Upanisads by several centuries, a hymn that de-
picts the creation of the universe through the sacrificial dismemberment of the body
of a primeval man (purusa ). From the parts of his sacrificed body, there emerged
not only the varnas of society but also the parts of the cosmos: sun from the eye,
moon from the mind, wind from the breath, sky from the head, earth from the feet,
and so on. I will deal in greater detail with these cosmic connections in the next
section; here I want to briefly describe the Upanisadic assumptions about human
physiology and psychology.

In these documents, the term most frequently used with reference to a living,
breathing body is atman, a term liable to misunderstanding and mistranslating be-
cause it can also mean the spiritual self or the inmost core of a human being, besides
functioning as a mere reflexive pronoun. The body which is the object of investiga-
tion, moreover, is primarily the male body; the female body enters the discussion
infrequently and then mostly within the context of male sexual activity. The term
yoni used in these contexts can mean both the vagina in which the semen is depos-
ited and the womb in which the fetus develops.

The obvious external construction of the human, as well as the animal, body is,
of course, known to our authors. The priests butchered sacrificial animals, and this
dissection must have provided them with detailed information on the internal organs
of animals. This knowledge is displayed, for example, in the opening statement of
the BU (1.1.1), which homologizes parts of the horse’s body with cosmic realities.
The body is distinguished according to vertical and horizontal axes into the left and
the right, and into the upper and the lower (the forequarter and the hindquarter, in
the case of an animal), each with its own symbolic value. The left, for example, is
associated with the female, and the right with the male.

It is, however, the vital powers — powers of movement, evacuation, ejaculation,
breathing, and speaking, as well as thinking and the five senses — that are the focus
of Upanisadic inquiry. The most important of these are breathing, thinking, speech,
sight, and hearing. Together, these five are often called “breaths” (prana ), “breath”
here carrying the meaning of life and vital force (see BU 1.5.21 for a traditional ex-
planation of why they are called “breaths”). In dealing with sight and hearing, and to
some extent also in the case of the other faculties, these documents clearly distin-
guish the power or the act of seeing and hearing from the respective external organs,
the eyes and the ears. Indeed, they consistently use different Sanskrit terms for the

22

Introduction

two — caksus and srotra for sight and hearing, and aksan and karna for eye and ear,
respectively.

Of the vital powers, breathing is the most important. Several Upanisads equate
breath with life and even with a person’s self (atmari). The inquiry into the power of
breathing led these thinkers to distinguish several types of breath within the body. In
general, five breaths are identified; the exact meaning of each is not altogether clear,
and the meaning of some appears to have changed over time. In much of this litera-
ture, however, the five breaths appear to have the following meanings: breathing out
(prana), breathing in ( apana ), the breath that moves up ( udana ), the breath that tra-
verses (vyana), and the breath that equalizes or links ( samana )P

The first, prana, is the one most commonly referred to, and it is often used as a
generic term for breath, as a term for life, and, in the plural, to refer to the vital
powers discussed above. Over time, the word apana comes to mean also the breath
that moves down from the navel and is responsible for evacuation and the breaking
of wind. Vyana may have meant originally the interval between inhalation and ex-
halation; thus it is said to be where the out-breath and in-breath meet, and it is,
therefore, identified with speech, because in speaking one breathes neither in nor
out (CU 1.3.3). Later it came to be viewed as the breath responsible for blood cir-
culation. Samana, likewise, came to be located in the belly and to be associated with
the digestion of food. The picture that emerges is of a body pervaded by air, which
circulates within it along various channels; this vital air is what enlivens the body
and makes it perform its many functions. Reference is also made to a “breath within
the mouth” (BU 1.3.7-27) and to a “central breath” (BU 1.5.21-22), which are
viewed as the primary carriers of life.

The inner organ that is the subject of intense scrutiny is the heart. The heart has
a cavity at the center and is surrounded by the pericardium. Channels or veins run
from the heart to the pericardium and to other parts of the body. The cavity of the
heart is the seat of the vital powers and the self and plays a central role in the expla-
nations of the three states of awareness — waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep —
as well as of death. In sleep, the cognitive powers distributed throughout the body
during the waking hours are gathered together in the cavity of the heart. The space
of this cavity is homologized with cosmic space (see CU 3.12.7-9), and in the
dream state the person travels about this space seeing and enjoying the same type of
things that he experienced while awake. During deep and dreamless sleep, the self
slips out of that cardiac space and enters the veins going from the heart to the peri-
cardium; there it remains oblivious to everything (see BU 2.1; 4.3-4). At death the
self, together with the vital powers, departs from the heart along a channel and exits
through either the crown of the head (TU 1.6) or the eye (BU 4.4.2).

27. Breaths, or air circulating in the body, are also an important topic in ancient Indian medicine,
the Ayurveda. The terms for the various breaths have been subject to much debate and misunderstanding.
It was once thought, for example, that prana meant inhalation (so Bohtlingk 1897a, 80, 94; 1897b, 129),
and that meaning is found even today in many dictionaries. Bodewitz (1986a, 334-36) has shown that
udana in some contexts is synonymous with apana and means inhalation. For a review of the discussion,
see Bodewitz 1986a; Zysk 1993.

23

The Early Upanisads

Cosmic Connections

In the preceding survey we noted three areas of concern for the vedic thinkers: the
ritual, the cosmic realities, and the human body/person. The ritual sphere includes
ritual formulas, prayers, and songs, as well as ritual actions and ceremonies. As we
have seen, the vedic thinkers did not make a strict distinction between the gods and
cosmic realities; so the cosmic sphere includes both. The central concern of all vedic
thinkers, including the authors of the Upanisads, is to discover the connections that
bind elements of these three spheres to each other. The assumption then is that the
universe constitutes a web of relations, that things that appear to stand alone and
apart are, in fact, connected to other things. A further assumption is that these real
cosmic connections are usually hidden from the view of ordinary people; discover-
ing them constitutes knowledge, knowledge that is secret and is contained in the
Upanisads. And it is this knowledge of the hidden connections that gives the person
with that knowledge power, wealth, and prestige in this world, and heavenly bliss
and immortality after death. While in the earlier vedic texts the focus is on the con-
nections between the ritual and cosmic spheres, the concern of the Upanisadic
thinkers shifts to the human person; the connections sought after are between parts
of the human organism and cosmic realities.

In the early vedic literature the term most commonly used for “connection’ is
bandhu, a term derived from a verb meaning “to bind,” “to connect . 1,28 Bandhu
commonly means a kin, but when one thing is said to be a bandhu of another, the
meaning is that the former is connected to or is a counterpart of the latter. The earli-
est usage of the important term upanisad indicates that it, too, carried a similar
meaning: upanisad means “connection” or “equivalence.” 29 In addition, the term
implies hierarchy; the Upanisadic connections are hierarchically arranged, and the
quest is to discover the reality that stands at the summit of this hierarchically inter-
connected universe. It is, however, assumed that such connections are always hid-
den. We see the term used with this meaning in the Upanisads themselves, for
example, at CU 1.1.10 and 1.13.4. Because of the hidden nature of these connec-
tions, the term upanisad also came to mean a secret, especially secret knowledge or
doctrine. It is probably as an extension of this meaning that the term came finally to
be used with reference to entire texts containing such secret doctrines — that is, our
Upanisads.

Another extremely common Upanisadic term that refers to the connections and
equivalences existing within the universe is “venerate.” When a text states that
someone venerates X as Y, the meaning is that he recognizes the hidden connection
or homology between the two (see BU 4.1.2n). Thus, at CU 1.2.10-12, Angiras,

28. For studies of this concept, see Gonda 1965 and Smith 1989.

29. On this meaning of upanisad, see Renou 1946; Thieme 1968a, 83-87, and Falk 1986b. Gren-
Eklund (1984, 117) states that the term ‘‘denotes the fact of two things being placed in a relation to each
other.” In the light of these studies, the older view (Deussen 1966 [1906], 13) that the term derives from
“sitting near” a teacher and refers to a group of disciples at the feet of a teacher imbibing esoteric knowl-
edge is clearly untenable. The term comes to mean also a secret doctrine or rite: see Bodewitz 1986b,
438, n. 4.

24

Introduction

Brhaspati, and Ayasya are said to have venerated the High Chant as the breath
within the mouth. The text then goes on to reveal the hidden etymologies of the
names of those individuals that make them identified with that very breath. The
message is clear: anyone who comes to know such a hidden homology becomes
himself identified with the things whose homology he has recognized.

An excellent example of such connections is the opening paragraph of the BU,
where parts of the sacrificial horse’s body and even its physical activities (i.e., the
ritual sphere) are connected to phenomena in the world (i.e., the cosmic sphere).
Elsewhere the ritual sphere is connected to the bodily, and the bodily sphere to the
cosmic: the Rc is connected to earth, atmosphere, and heaven, and the Saman to fire,
wind, and sun (BU 1.6); the Rc, to speech, sight, and hearing, and the Saman to
breath, body, and mind (BU 1.7); and speech, breath, sight, hearing, and mind are
connected to fire, wind, sun, quarters (points of the compass), and moon, respec-
tively (BU 1.3.11-16). Some of these connections, such as that between eye and
sun, and breath and wind, follow natural associations; others, such as that between
mind and moon, are more difficult to fathom, at least for the modern reader, and
may be based on the then current views on the nature of or mythical associations
between the mind and the moon.

An important basis for these connections, however, is the phonetic similarity
between the Sanskrit words for two things or even the fact that the two terms may
have the same number of syllables. 30 One finds with an almost annoying frequency
such “etymological” connections in these documents, especially in the Chando-
gya. 31 Thus the connection between the High Chant and the sun (CU 1.3.1) is based
on the phonetic similarity between udgitha (‘High Chant’) and udyan (‘rising’).
Some modem scholars have dismissed these as fanciful folk etymologies. These are
clearly not “folk” etymologies; the authors of these documents were learned men,
and these documents themselves demonstrate that the science of grammar had al-
ready reached a high degree of sophistication. These men clearly knew the philol-
ogical etymologies of the terms they deal with, but their quest was not for such
common and well-known connections but for deeper and hidden ones, and they
found in the sounds of the names a clue to those connections.

This belief that what sounds alike must be alike was founded on the theory that
the essence of a thing was expressed in its name and its visible appearance ( nama -
rupa). The importance given to speech sounds is evident in the discussions of such
special sounds as bhur, bhuvas, and svar (the sounds that correspond to the three
worlds), as well as the most basic and powerful sound of all, OM. These speech
sounds are powerful in themselves and provide access to the basic reality of the
world, to Brahman. To understand these etymological connections, then, we must
enter — which is not the same as to believe in or to accept — the framework of their
own worldview; dismissing them as fanciful does not further understanding. These
phonetic equivalences also highlight the highly oral nature of the vedic texts; they
were composed and handed down from generation to generation orally. These texts

30. See, for example, BU 5. 5. 3-4; 5.14.1-3. Regarding the counting of syllables in ancient Indian
texts, see Jamison 1986, especially p. 165..

3 1 . These phonetic etymologies occurring in the Upanisads have been collected by Singh 1994.

25

The Early Upanisads

also came to life within the communities in their oral enactment within ritual recita-
tions, both public and private, as well as in the traditional methods of education. 32

Some scholars have argued that these connections amount to the acknowledg-
ment of the identity between disparate realities, while others contend that they
merely show resemblance. Whether it is identity or resemblance, those who note
these connections also seek to establish a hierarchy of connected things, or, looking
at it from a different angle, to discover deeper and deeper realities that serve as the
foundation or basis for others (cf. BU 2.9.19-26). Several metaphors are used to
indicate this hierarchic connection and dependence of one reality on another, meta-
phors such as the string on which the world is strung (BU 2.7) and that on which the
world is woven back and forth (BU 2.6 and 8). This is possibly the idea that gives
some unity to the diverse thoughts of the Upanisads, and Brereton (1990, 118) ex-
presses it succinctly: “each Upanishadic teaching creates an integrative vision, a
view of the whole which draws together the separate elements of the world and of
human experience and compresses them into a single form. To one who has this
larger vision of things, the world is not a set of diverse and disorganized objects and
living beings, but rather forms a totality with a distinct shape and character.”

Two significant items within this hierarchically connected and organized uni-
verse are called Brahman and Atman, two concepts that have been pivotal in the
development of later Indian philosophies and theologies and that have been subject
to intense scrutiny by modern scholarship. These permit the Upanisads to create “an
integrative vision by identifying a single, comprehensive and fundamental principle
which shapes the world” (Brereton 1990, 1 18). It is impossible to analyze them ade-
quately within the confines of this Introduction. Both are viewed in their own way
as occupying the summit of the hierarchically arranged and interconnected universe.

Atman, as I have already pointed out, has many meanings and usages in the
Upanisadic vocabulary; one such usage refers to the “Self,” the ultimate essence of a
human being, even though there is no agreement as to what constitutes that essence.
It will, however, be anachronistic to interpret this usage of the term as referring only
to some “spiritual” core of a human being; the image of the physical human body is
present even when the Upanisads are attempting to isolate that core. Thus in CU
5.12-17 Asvapati points to the inadequacy of several identifications of the self by
stating that the thing so identified is only the head or the bladder or the feet of the
self.

Brahman, likewise, has a variety of meanings, and it is impossible to use a sin-
gle English term to designate all those meanings. 33 Brahman may mean “a formula-
tion of truth,” 34 the Veda, or the ultimate and basic essence of the cosmos. The TU
(3.1) provides a basic definition of this term in its latter meaning: “That from which

32. For the essentially oral/aural nature of sacred scriptures, see William A. Graham, Beyond the
Written Word: Oral Aspects of Scripture in the History of Religion (Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1987), esp. 65-80, dealing with the Vedas.

33. For specific and detailed studies of this term, the reader may consult Renou and Silburn 1949;
Gonda 1950; and Thicme 1952.

34. In this meaning, the term appears sometimes to indicate a body of texts; see BU 2.1. In; CU
3.5. 1-2.

26

Introduction

these beings are born; on which, once bom, they live; and into which they pass upon
death — seek to perceive that! That is brahmanV' Brahman thus stands at the summit
of the hierarchical scheme, or at the bottom as the ultimate foundation of all things,
although it is important to remember that the concept always retains its verbal char-
acter as “the sound expression” of truth or reality. The final upanisad or equation is
between Atman, the essential I, and Brahman, the ultimate real.

Even though this equation played a significant role in later developments of re-
ligion and theology in India and is the cornerstone of one of its major theological
traditions, the Advaita Vedanta, it is incorrect to think that the single aim of all the
Upanisads is to enunciate this simple truth. A close reader of these documents will
note the diversity of goals that their authors pursue, chief among which are food,
prosperity, power, fame, and a happy afterlife. There are rites to secure greatness, to
win a woman’s love , 35 to harm the lover of one’s wife, to ensure pregnancy, to
guard against pregnancy, to assure a safe childbirth — the list can go on. Many
scholars ignore these and similar passages in their search for the “philosophy” or
“the fundamental conception” of the Upanisads. But are we justified in doing so? If
the compilers of the Upanisads thought them significant enough to be included in
these collections, who are we to reject them? These passages, I believe, are as im-
portant to uncovering the religious history of the period as: the passages proclaiming
the oneness of Atman and Brahman.

35. Some early translators (e.g. Max Muller) were so offended by these explicit descriptions of
sexuality that they either left those passages untranslated or translated them into Latin!

27

This page intentionally left blank

ONE

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

The Brhadaranyaka Upanisad constitutes the concluding section of the voluminous
Satapatha Brahmana of the White Yajurveda. Its name, The Great Aranyaka-
Upanisad, indicates its character as both an Aranyaka and an Upanisad. The text has
been preserved in two recensions, the Madhyandina and the Kanva; in both, the BU
forms the final sections of the Satapatha. The two recensions present basically the
same text, although there are differences in some significant readings and in the
arrangement of individual sections. This edition and translation follows the Kanva
recension. The variant readings of the Madhyandina recension are given in the
notes.

The Upanisad consists of three sections: (1) adhyayas 1-2, called the Madhu-
kanda (“Honey Section”), getting its name from the final segment (2.5) of this sec-
tion; (2) adhyayas 2-3, called the Yajnavalkyakanda (“Yajnavalkya Section”), in
which this sage plays the central role; and (3) adhyayas 5-6, called Khilakanda
(“Supplementary Section”). In its present form, this Upanisad has seen at least three
editorial phases. The first consists of individual passages, dialogues, and stories that
may have been preserved in the memory of individuals or groups. In the second
phase different editors at different times must have made three independent collec-
tions of them, collections that are preserved as the three sections of the BU. That
these sections must have existed as separate texts is indicated by the genealogy of
teachers appended to each, as well as by the repetition of the story of Yajnavalkya
and his two wives in both the first and the second sections (2.4 and 4.5). It is, of
course, likely that these sections underwent further expansion in the third phase,
when an editor appears to have woven these separate texts into a whole and included
them within the Satapatha Brahmana. Of the three, the first two sections exhibit
greater internal consistency, while the third, which even the native tradition regards
as supplementary, consists of disparate and often unconnected fragments. Never-
theless, this section is important especially in showing the diversity of secret reci-
pes — rites, incantations, and esoteric knowledge — that constituted the literature that
we have come to call Upanisads.

29

The Early Upanisads

On linguistic and other grounds, there is general agreement that the Brhad-
aranyaka, as a whole, is the oldest of the Upanisads, even though individual pas-
sages in it may be younger than those of others, especially those of the Chandogya.

Together with the latter, the Brhadaranyaka not only constitutes about two-
thirds of the corpus of ancient Upanisadic documents but also represents the oldest
and the most important part of this literature.

C ONTENTS

1

2 . 1 - 7
2.7

3

3 . 1 - 18

3 . 19-23

3 . 24-28

4

4 . 1 - 8
4 . 9-10
4 . 11-15
4 . 15-16
4.17

5

5 . 1 - 13
5 . 14-15
5.16
5 . 17-20
5 . 21-23

2

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 . 15-20

4 . 5-14

Sacrificial horse identified with the universe
Creation emerges from Death
Origin of the horse sacrifice
Contest between gods and demons
Superiority of the breath within the mouth over other vital
functions

Homologies of breath: breath as Saman
What one wins by means of Saman
Creation

Creation emerges from the self ( atman )

Brahman as one’s self
Creation emerges from brahman
The self as one’s world
Creation emerges from the self ( atman )

Seven kinds of food

Man identified with the year and Prajapati

The three worlds

Rite of transfer to the son

Contest among vital functions: superiority of breath

Dialogue between Drpta-Balaki and Ajatasatru on brahman
The nature of sleep
The central breath

Two visible appearances of brahman

Dialogue between Yajnavalkya and his wife, Maitreyl

Discourse on the self

All reality compared to honey

Lineage of teachers

30

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3

Yajnavalkya at Janaka’s sacrifice: debate with eight teachers

1

Debate with Asvala on the ritual

2

Debate with Jaratkara on the graspers and life after death

3

Debate with Bhujyu: where do horse sacrificers go?

4

Debate with Usasta on brahman and the self

5

Debate with Kahola on brahman; giving up desires

6

Debate with GargI : on what is the universe woven?

7

Debate with Uddalaka: on what are the worlds strung?

8

Q

Debate with GargI: on what is the universe woven?

y

9.1-26

Debate with Vidagdha: how many gods are there?

A

9.27-28

Yajnavalkya questions his opponents

1-2

Dialogue between Janaka and Yajnavalkya

1.2

Y. rejects Jitvan’s view that brahman is speech

1.3

Y. rejects Uddalka’s view that brahman is lifebreath

1.4

Y. rejects Barku’s view that brahman is sight

1.5

Y. rejects Gardabhlviplta’s view that brahman is hearing

1.6

Y. rejects Satyakama’s view that brahman is the mind

1.7

Y. rejects Vidagdha’ s view that brahman is the heart

2.1-4

Y.’s teaching on the self

3-4

A further dialogue between Janaka and Yajnavalkya

3.1-8

Self as one’s source of light

3.9-34

On dreaming and dreamless sleep

3.35-4.2

On what happens at death

4.3-6

On the course after death of those who desire

4.6-25

On the course after death of those who are without desires

5

Dialogue between Yajnavalkya and his wife, Maitrey!

5.6-15

Discourse on the self

6

C

Lineage of teachers

1

Brahman is space

2

Prajapati’s instruction to gods and demons

3

Brahman is the heart

4

Brahman is the real

5

Waters create the real; the real creates the universe

6

Person within the heart

7

Brahman is lightning

31

The Early Upanisads

8

9

10
11
12

13

14

15

6

1

2

2.8-14

2.15-16

3

4

4.1-6

4.7-11

4.12

4.13-23

4.24-28

Speech as a cow

Fire common to all men and the digestive process

Course of a man after death

Sickness as austerity

Brahman as food and breath together

Priests and royalty as breath

Cosmic correspondences of the Gayatri verse

Prayer for safe passage after death

Contest among vital functions: superiority of breath
Pravahana’s questions to Svetaketu and instruction of
Uddalaka

Doctrine of five fires and transmigration
The two paths of the dead — to gods and to fathers
Offering to vital functions for securing a wish
On sexual intercourse
Obligation to have sex with women
Rites to secure love and pregnancy, and to prevent
pregnancy

Rite to harm a wife’s lover

Rites to obtain different types of children

Rites for the newborn

Lineage of teachers

32

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

CONCORDANCE OF BU(K) AND BU(M)

I give two types of numbering for the BU(M), the first according to Bohtlingk
(1889a) and the second according to Weber’s edition of the SB. The sign + against a
number indicates that that section contains additional material from the next section
of the other recension.

BU(K)

BU(M)

SB

1.1. 1-2

1.1.1

10.6.4.1

1. 2.1-6

1. 2.1-6

10.6.5.1-6

1.2.7

1.2.7-8

10.6.5.7-8

1.3.1

1. 3.1-2

14.4.1.1-2

1.3.2-17

1.3.3-18

14.4.1.3-18

1.3.18

1.3.19-20

14.4.1.19-20

1.3.19-27

1.3.21-29

14.4.1.21-29

1.3.28

1.3.30-33

14.4.1.30-33

1.4.1

1.4. 1-2

14.4.2.1-2

1.4.2

1.4.3

14.4.2.3

1.4.3

1. 4.4-5

14.4.2.4-5

1.4.4

1. 4.6-9

14.4.2.6-9

1.4.5

1.4.10

14.4.2.10

1.4.6

1.4.11-14

14.4.2.11-14

1.4.7

1.4.15-18

14.4.2.15-18

1.4.8-9

1.4.19-20

14.4.2.19-20

1.4.10

1.4.21-22

14.4.2.21-22

1.4.11-14

1.4.23-26

14.4.2.23-26

1.4.15

1.4.27-28

14.4.2.27-28

1.4.16

1.4.29

14.4.2.29

1.4.17

1.4.30-31

14.4.2.30-31

1.5.1

1.5.1

14.4.3.1

1.5.2

1.5.2-7

14.4.3.2-7

1.5.3

1.5.8-10

14.4.3.8-10

1.5.4-12

1.5.11-19

14.4.3.11-19

1.5.13

1.5.20-21

14.4.3.20-21

1.5.14-16

1.5.22-24

14.4.3.22-24

1.5.17

1.5.25-26

14.4.3.25-26

1.5.18-20

1.5.27-29

14.4.3.27-29

1.5.21

1.5.30-32

14.4.3.30-32

1.5.22-23

1.5.33-34

14.4.3.33-34

1. 6.1-3

1 .6.1-3

14.4.41-43

2.1. 1-9

2.1. 1-9

14.5.1.1-9

2.1.10

2.1.11

14.5.1.11

2.1.11

2.1.10

14.5.1.10

2.1.12-16

2.1.12-16

14.5.1.12-16

BU(K)

BU(M)

SB

2.1.17

2.1.17-18

14.5.1.17-18

2.1.18

2.1.19-20

14.5.1.19-20

2.1.19

2.1.21-22

14.5.1.21-22

2.1.20

2.1.23

14.5.1.23

2.2.1

2.2.1-2 +

14.5.2.1-2

2.2.2

2.2.2-3

14.5.2.2-3

2.2.3

2.2.4-5

14.5.2.4-5

2.2.4

2.2.6

14.5.2.6

2.3.1

2.3.1

14.5.3.1

2.3.2

2.3.2-3

14.5.3.2-3

2.3.3

2.3.4-5

14.5.3.4-5

2.3.4

2.3.6-7

14.5.3.6-7

2.3.5

2.3.8-9

14.5.3.8-9

2.3.6

2.3.10-11

14.5.3.10-11

2.4.1-7

2.4.1-7

14.5.4.1-7

2.4.8

2.4.9

14.5.4.9

2.4.9

2.4.8

14.5.4.8

2.4.10-12

2.4.10-12

14.5.4.10-12

2.4.13

2.4.13-14

14.5.4.13-14

2.4.14

2.4.15-16

14.5.4.15-16

2.5.1-3

2.5.1-3

14.5.5.1-3

2.5.4

2.5.5

14.5.5.5

2.5.5

2.5.6

14.5.5.6

2.5.6

2.5.8

14.5.5.8

2.5.7

2.5.7

14.5.5.7

2.5.8

2.5.9

14.5.5.9

2.5.9

2.5.10

14.5.5.10

2.5.10

2.5.4

14.5.5.4

2.5.11-19

2.5.11-19

14.5.5.11-19

2.6.1-3

2.5.20-22

14.5.5.20-22

3.1.1

3.1.1-2*

14.6.1.1-2

3.1.2

3.1 .2-4

14.6.1.2-4

3.1.3-10

3.1.5-12

14.6.1.5-12

3.2.1-2

3.2.1-2

14.6.2.1-2

3.2.3

3.2.4

14.6.2.4

3.2.4

3.2.3

14.6.2.3

33

The Early Upanisads

BU(K)

BU(M)

SB

3.2.5-10

3.2.5-10

14.6.2.5-10

3.2.11

3.2.12

14.6.2.12

3.2.12

3.2.11

14.6.2.11

3.2.13

3.2.13-14

14.6.2.13-14

3.3.1-2

3.3.1-2

14.6.3.1-2

3.4. 1-2

3.5.1

14.6.5.1

3.5.1

3.4.1

14.6.4.1

3.6.1

3.6.1

14.6.6.1

3.7.1

3.7.1-5

14.6.7.1-5

37.2-5

27.6-9

14.6.7.6-9

3.7.6

3.7.7

3.7.11

14.6.7.11

3.7.8

3.7.9

3.7.12

14.6.7.12

3.7.10

3.7.14

14.6.7.14

3.7.11

3.7.13

14.6.7.13

3.7.12

3.7.10

14.6.7.10

3.7.13

3.7.28

14.6.7.28

3.7.14

3.7.27

14.6.7.27

3.7.15-19

14.6.7.15-19

3.7.15-21

3.7.20-26

14.6.7.20-26

3.7.22

3.7.23

3.7.29, 31

14.6.7.29, 31

3.7.30

14.6.7.30

3.8.1-12

3.8.1-12

14.6.8.1-12

3.9.1

3.9.1-2

14.6.9.1-2

3.9.2-10

3.9.3-11

14.6.9.3-11

3.9.11

3.9.14

14.6.9.14

3.9.12-13

3.9.12-13

14.6.9.12-13

3.9.14

3.9.16

14.6.9.16

3.9.15

3.9.15

14.6.9.15

3.9.16-17

3.9.17-18

14.6.9.17-18

3.9.18-25

3.9.19-26

14.6.9.19-26

3.9.26

3.9.27-28

14.6.9.27-28

3.9.27

3.9.29

14.6.9.29

3.9.28

3.9.30-34

14.6.9.30-34

4.1.1

4.1.1*

14.6.10.1

4.1.2

4.1.1, 5-7*

14.6.10.1, 4-7

4.1.3

4.1.7, 2-^4*

14.6.10.7, 2-4

4.1.4

4.1.7—10*

14.6.10.7-10

4.1.5

4. 1.10-13*

14.6.10.10-13

4.1.6

4.1.13-16*

14.6.10.13-16

4.1.7

4.1.16-19

14.6.10.16-19

BU(K)

BU(M)

SB

4.2.1-2

4.2.1-2

14.6.11.1-2

4.2.3

4.2.3-4

14.6.11.3-4

4.2.4

4.2.5-6

14.6.11.5-6

4.3. 1-8

4.3. 1-8

14.7.1.1-8

4.3.9

4.3.9-10

14.7.1.9-10

4.3.10-13

4.3.11-14

14.7.1.11-14

4.3.14

4.3.14-16

14.7.1.14-16

4.3.15

(4.3.40*)

(14.7.1.40)

4.3.16

4.3.17

4.3.17

14.7.1.17

4.3.18-19

4.3.18-19

14.7.1.18-19

4.3.20

4.3.20*

14.7.1.20

4.3.21-30

4.3.31

4.3.21-30

14.7.1.21-30

4.3.32

4.3.31

14.7.1.31

4.3.33

4.3.32-9, 41 *14.7.1.32-39, 41

4.3.34

4.3.40*

14.7.1.40

4.3.35

4.3.42

14.7.1.42

4.3.36

4.3.41*

14.7.1.41

4.3.37-38

4.3.43-44

14.7.1.43-44

4.4.1

4.4.1*

14.7.2.1

4.4.2

4.4. 1-3

14.7.2.1-3

4.4.3-4

4.4.4-5

14.7.2.4-5

4.4.5

4.4.6-7

14.7.2.6-7

4.4.6

4.4.8

14.7.2.8

4.4.7

4.4.9-10

14.7.2.9-10

4.4.8-11

4.4.11-14

14.7.2.11-14

4.4.12-13

4.4.16-17

14.7.2.16-17

4.4.14

4.4.15

14.7.2.15

4.4.15

4.4.18

14.7.2.18

4.4.16

4.4.20

14.7.2.20

4.4.17

4.4.19

14.7.2.19

4.4.18-21

4.4.21-23

14.7.2.21-23

4.4.22

4.4.24-27

14.7.2.24-27

4.4.23

4.4.28, 30

14.7.2.28, 30

4.4.24

4.4.29

14.7.2.29

4.4.25

4.4.31

14.7.2.31

4.5. 1-8

4.5. 1-8

14.7.3.1-8

4.5.9

4.5.10

14.7.3.10

4.5.10

4.5.9

14.7.3.9

4.5.11-13

4.5.11-13

14.7.3.11-13

4.5.14

4.5.14-15

14.7.3.14-15

4.5.16-23

14.7.3.16-23

4.5.15

4.5.24-25

14.7.3.24-25

34

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

BU(K)

BU(M)

SB

BU(K)

BU(M)

SB

4.6.1-3

4.5.26-28

14.7.3.26-28

6.2.3

6.1.5 14.9.1.5

5.1.1

5.1.1

14.8.1.1

6.2.4

6.1. 6-8*

14.9.1.6-8

5.2.1

5.2.1-2

14.8.2.1-2

6.2.5-7

6.1.8-11*

14.9.1.8-11

5.2.2-3

5.2.3-4

14.8.2.3-4

6.2.8-13

6.1.11-16*

14.9.1.11-16

5.3.1

5.4.1

14.8.4.1

6.2.14-16

6.1.16-19

14.9.1.16-19

5.4.1

5.5.1

14.8.5.1

6.3.1

6.3. 1-3

14.9.3.1-3

5.5.1

5.6.1-2

14.8.6.1-2

6.3.2

6.3.4

14.9.3.4

5.5.2-4

5.6.3-5

14.8.6.3-5

6.3.3

6.3.8, 7, 6, 5 14.9.3.8, 7, 6, 5

5.6.1

5.8.1

14.8.8.1

6.3.4-5

6.3.9-10

14.9.3.9-10

5.7.1

5.7.1

14.8.7.1

6.3.6

6.3.11-14

14.9.3.11-14

5.8.1

5.9.1

14.8.9.1

6.3.7-12

6.3.15-20

14.9.3.15-20

5.9.1

5.10.1

14.8.10.1

6.3.13

6.3.21-22

14.9.3.21-22

5.10.1

5.12.1

14.8.12.1

64.1-3

6.4.1-3

14.9.4.1-3

5.11.1

5.11.1

14.8.11.1

6.4.4

6.44-5*

14.9.4.4-5

5.12.1

5.13.1-3

14.8.13.1-3

6.4.5

6.4.5

14.9.4.5

5.13.1-4

5.14.1-4

14.8.14.1-4

6.4.6

64.6-7*

14.9.4.6-7

5.14.1-2

5.15.1-2

14.8.15.1-2

6.4.7

6.4.7

14.9.4.7

5.14.3

5.15.3-4

14.8.15.3-4

6.4.8

5.14.4

5.15.5-7

14.8.15.5-7

6.4.9-23

6.4.8-22

14.9.4.8-22

5.14.5-7

5.15.8-10

14.8.15.8-10

6.4.24

6.4.23-24

14.9.4.23-24

5.14.8

5.15.11-12

14.8.15.11-12

6.4.25-26

6.4.25

14.9.4.25

5.15.1*

5.3.1

14.8.3.1

6.4.26

14.9.4.26

6.1-13

6.2.1-3

14.9.2.1-3

6.4.27

6.4.28

14.9.4.28

6.1.14

6.2.14-15

14.9.2.14-15

6.4.28

6.4.27, 29

14.9.4.27, 29

6.2.1

6.1.1 14.9.1.1

6.5. 1-4

6.4.29-33

14.9.4.29-33

6.2.2

6.1.2-4

14.9.1.2-4

35

w 3T arwr Rrrw f^r: I awr smwfP^FR: I

SPOT ^TWR I #T: gf^Tcfr qiWW %T: TP^T SRf^R-

fef: 1 q^Tcf dtcTcfrsfdfr Win^TRW Td^'Uldlfa STfcT w dgrwrw-

WfW d^fT Hmi'^crsf 3 Rl=bdl: f^RTWt JRT 5T^T &RM33" q^RTT
3ftww t-tfictw RR#r I Raw ggWf I

dfefRT^ I dc^THil^f I q^fcT cT^ff^T I dFRTWT dlcR 1 1 ? 1 1

3T?cit spg- gwRTf|TTF^nw I aw ngt wtf^T: I af^r

TOI^^dMdldd I crwmt wrf^T: I l^cfT 3T aPET wftWTdlwf^Tcf:
HWg: I ^orH^sft WdRdfgdd'# WWTT I H^IT igFWT

SR5p dWsfr WTfr: I R 1 1

II ffcT OT WT^FTW 1 1

f^HW ®n#d[ I gcg^^digddl^«M|i|iil | 3TSHFTT f|" I
d-ddlSc^'bdlrd'dl WnftfrT I RR^5RRcf I dwRd ^TT'TTSWFFtT I 3p^cT %

o ^

£r ^rgi^fcr I d^di^Hiic&cW I <# §■ 3T 3 r# Verier w
^ M?ll

srrct ^t a?#: I cra^rf sr ^i-tfl'dRidf^d I wr I dwiw-

WTRRT I cfFP RRTWT cTHRT cMl <dl pKdddlly: I R 1 1

W %EnWFT °ddg<>dlR<R cjcfl-M dig gcfRnT I W PR~ Ml u l'RdlfdR>d: I
dW mxfT Rr f^irTSdt WT# I WT SfcfHt RdR dWRpt WT# W
wt ! I df^wr dl^xfi tf£t I #h gisswf^g^FTg^: I w fwTsfj
gfctfed": l m ^r ffcr cf^r yRR%RR f^gpr I R 1 1

36

ADHYAYA 1

I The head of the sacrificial horse, clearly, is the dawn — its sight is the sun; its
breath is the wind; and its gaping mouth is the fire common to all men. The
body ( atman ) of the sacrificial horse is the year — its back is the sky; its abdomen is
the intermediate region; its underbelly is the earth; its flanks are the quarters; its ribs
are the intermediate quarters; its limbs are the seasons; its joints are the months and
fortnights; its feet are the days and nights; its bones are the stars; its flesh is the
clouds; its stomach contents are the sand; its intestines are the rivers; its liver and
lungs are the hills; its body hairs are the plants and trees; its forequarter is the rising
sun; and its hindquarter is the setting sun. When it yawns, lightning flashes; when it
shakes itself, it thunders; and when it urinates, it rains. Its neighing is speech itself.

2 The day, clearly, was born afterwards to be the sacrificial cup placed in front
of the horse, and its womb is in the eastern sea. The night was born afterwards to be
the sacrificial cup placed behind the horse, and its womb is in the western sea.
These two came into being to be the sacrificial cups placed in front of and behind
the horse. It became a racer and carried the gods. It became a charger and carried
the Gandharvas. It became a courser and carried the demons. It became a horse and
carried the humans. The sea, indeed, is its counterpart; the sea is its womb.

2 In the beginning there was nothing here at all. Death alone covered this com-
pletely, as did hunger; for what is hunger but death? Then death made up his
mind: “Let me equip myself with a body (atman).” So he undertook a liturgical
recitation (arc), and as he was engaged in liturgical recitation water sprang from
him. And he thought: “While I was engaged in liturgical recitation (arc), water (ka)
sprang up for me.” This is what gave the name to and discloses the true nature of
recitation (arka). Water undoubtedly springs for him who knows the name and na-
ture of recitation in this way. 2 3 So, recitation is water.

Then the foam that had gathered on the water solidified and became the earth.
Death toiled upon her. When he had become worn out by toil and hot with exertion,
his heat — his essence — turned into fire.

3 He divided this body (atman) of his into three — one third became the sun and
another the wind. He is also breath divided into three. His head is the eastern quar-
ter, and his two forequarters are the southeast and the northeast. His tail is the west,
and his two hindquarters are the southwest and the northwest. His flanks are the
south and the north. His back is the sky; his abdomen is the intermediate region; and
his chest is this earth. He stands firm in the waters. A man who knows this will
stand firm wherever he may go.

37

1.2.4

The Early Upanisads

fMWt *r anw dTttfd I d dddr dpt fadd dd-

•o

dddddTdf iJdT: I ddjtd <H I '41 dd WTOW I d f dd cfcT: HcRdT
■3TRT I d^dldTl ddrtdf4 ddldldHd rtK: I dtdTdd.' dd riHI dddnd^Jdd" I

ct ^TTcmf^T^iR I d ^nwftcf I fk nvii

d ^Tcf dft dT fddftd# op^M55T dtt’Sd ffcT I d ddT dTdT cldT-
cd4^ dtd^dc! dRc^ fer didl ddf4 dldlpT tS^Tfd ddldldl’ 1 q^FT I d
dd^^d dd^ddi^ldd I df dT afdtfcT ddft^ftkcdq I dd^dR'r
ddfc r d4ddMI'd ddfcT d TJo|^d^f4rkR1clc4 4d IIKII

^fTS^Iddd dddT did - ddt dttfcT I ^RFdd I d ddtScddd I

c\ C\ N

dW RRRd cddd d# 4kfddddd I SWT 4" d3lt 4Wd I dRfFlRcd?F%
srflt 5 sftgdf^dd l dRT 5iftr ^d dd amftcf I Kl I

dtWddd ifSd d ft RTIWFsqtT ^TTfirfcT I cRTtW: I

dWd^znT^ftfrT dtsn^rwrpg^R^ I Tinsr w ^T d^Td td d RTtd

td I dddd^dTd'^'d' 1 I # ddRRW dfdTRTcdT dTRW I q^ddT*d:
dcdtfcT I dFTTdrttdcd Rtf^TcT I H cddTdddf I q^ cfT 3TO%ft d RT

ddld I dd4 dd drl <t died I I dddllRt^ I dd) 4" dtdd 3j I cH H : I

dlkdldd^^Jt I dt 3 Jd^d tddT ddfcf ^pdtd I W dT>fcd ddfcT I
4d ^cgrratfcT I Tddddiw ddfrr 5 I q^rrat tddKFkt ddfcr 6 I |V9 1 1

II fft f^cfhq* sTIfTdd II

gdT w qFTFTRrr tdTWT§W I dd: dTFflddT HR 4dT SdTddT 3T§dT: |
d 1 dj dkWf^RT I d f td 3PffdTRJfFdfT d^l^d Idldl^irl 1 1 ? 1 1

^ f dMdxjdd d dfdlft I dtft" t*dt dTJddTdd I dT drf^T dtW
tt^d dldTdcf I ddFddld ddfcT dflcdd I tsf4^<4d t d d^JdTctW-

38

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

1.3.2

4 Then death had this desire: “Would that a second body ( atman ) were born for
me!” So, by means of his mind, he copulated with speech, death copulated with
hunger. Then the semen he emitted became the year. The year simply did not exist
before this. He carried him for as long as a year, at the end of which he gave birth to
him. As he was born, death opened its mouth to swallow him. He cried out, “ Bhan\ ”
That is what became speech.

5 Death reflected: “If I kill him, I will only reduce my supply of food.” So, with
that speech and that body (atman) he gave birth to this whole world, to everything
that is here— Rgvedic verses, Yajurvedic formulas, Samavedic chants, meters, sacri-
fices, people, and animals. He began to eat whatever he gave birth to. “He eats (ad)
all” — it is this that gave the name to and discloses the true nature of Aditi. When
someone comes to know the name and nature of Aditi in this way, he becomes the
eater of this whole world, and the whole world here becomes his food.

6 Then death had this desire: “Let me make an offering once more, this time
with a bigger sacrifice.” So he strenuously toiled and fiercely exerted himself.
When he had become worn out by toil and hot with exertion, his splendor — his
vigor — departed from him. Now, splendor — vigor — consists of the vital breaths. So,
when his vital breaths had departed, his corpse began to bloat. His mind, however,
still remained within his corpse.

7 Then he had this desire: “I wish that this corpse of mine would become fit to
be sacrificed so I could get myself a living body (atman)'” Then that corpse became
a horse. “Because it bloated (as'vat), it became fit to be sacrificed (medhya)” — that
is what gave the name to and discloses the true nature of the horse sacrifice
(asvamedha). Only a man who knows the horse sacrifice in this way truly under-
stands it.

Death believed that the horse was not to be confined in any way. At the end of
one year, he immolated it as a sacrifice to himself, while he assigned the other ani-
mals to the gods. That is why people, when they immolate the horse consecrated to
Prajapati, regard it as an offering to all the gods.

The sun that shines up there, clearly, is a horse sacrifice; the year is its body
(atman). The fire that burns down here is the ritual fire; these worlds are its body.
Now, there are these two: the horse sacrifice and the ritual fire (arka). Yet they con-
stitute in reality a single deity — they are simply death. [Whoever knows this] averts
repeated death — death is unable to seize him, death becomes his very body (atman),
and he becomes one of these deities.

3 Now, Prajapati’ s offspring were of two kinds: gods and demons. Indeed, the
gods were the younger of his offspring, while the demons were the older; and
they were competing for these worlds. So the gods said to themselves: “Come, let
us overcome the demons during a sacrifice by means of the High Chant.”

2 They then told speech: “Sing the High Chant for us.” Speech said, “Very
well,” and sang the High Chant for them. It procured for them by that singing what-
ever useful there is in speech; it keeps for itself (atman) whatever is pleasant in
what it says. The demons thought: “With this as their Udgatr, they are sure to over-

39

Brhaclaranyaka Upanisad

1.3.12

come us.” So they rushed at it and riddled it with evil. That evil is the disagreeable
things a person says — they are that very evil.

3 Then the gods told breath: “Sing the High Chant for us.” Breath said, “Very
well,” and sang the High Chant for them. It procured for them by that singing what-
ever useful there is in breath; it keeps for itself whatever is pleasant in what it
smells. The demons thought: “With this as their Udgatr, they are sure to overcome
us.” So they rushed at it and riddled it with evil. That evil is the disagreeable things
a person smells — they are that very evil.

4 Then the gods told sight: “Sing the High Chant for us.” Sight said, “Very
well,” and sang the High Chant for them. It procured for them by that singing what-
ever useful there is in sight; it keeps for itself whatever is pleasant in what it sees.
The demons thought: “With this as their Udgatr, they are sure to overcome us.” So
they rushed at it and riddled it with evil. That evil is the disagreeable things a person
sees — they are that very evil.

5 Then the gods told hearing: “Sing the High Chant for us.” Hearing said, “Very
well,” and sang the High Chant for them. It procured for them by that singing what-
ever useful there is in hearing; it keeps for itself whatever is pleasant in what it
hears. The demons thought: “With this as their Udgatr, they are sure to overcome
us.” So they rushed at it and riddled it with evil. That evil is the disagreeable things
a person hears — they are that very evil.

6 Then the gods told mind: “Sing the High Chant for us.” Mind said, “Very
well,” and sang the High Chant for them. It procured for them by that singing what-
ever useful there is in the mind; it keeps for itself whatever is pleasant in what it
thinks. The demons thought: “With this as their Udgatr, they are sure to overcome
us.” So they rushed at it and riddled it with evil. That evil is the disagreeable things
a person thinks — they are that very evil.

In this way they assaulted these deities with evil and riddled them with evil.

7 Then the gods told the breath within the mouth: “Sing the High Chant for us.”
This breath said, “Very well,” and sang the High Chant for them. The demons
thought: “With this as their Udgatr, they are sure to overcome us.” So they rushed at
it and tried to riddle it with evil. But, like a clod of earth hurled against a rock, they
were smashed to bits flying in all directions and perished. As a result, the gods
prospered, while the demons came to ruin. When someone knows this, he himself
will prosper, while a rival who hates him will come to ruin.

8 The gods then asked: “Where has he gone who stood by us like that?”

“Here within the mouth.”

This is Ayasya, the Angirasa, for it is the essence of the bodily parts.

9 Now, this same deity is called D ur, because death keeps far {dura) from it.
And death likewise keeps far from a man who knows this. 10 This same deity
droveout from the other deities the evil that is death and chased it to the very ends
of the earth. There it threw their evils down. Therefore, one should never visit for-
eigners or travel to frontier regions lest one run into evil and death.

1 1 This same deity, after it had driven out from the other deities the evil that is
death, carried them beyond the reach of death. 12 Speech was the first one that it
carried. And when speech was freed from death, it became fire. So, having gone

41

1 . 3.12

The Early Upanisads

tfsnqft: qtr Jj^qfcraiRfr #fmcT II HU 3m qrqnrnnqcT I n W
<T cU^qimn I ttm <=fl^: qtr Tjejmftnipn : qn# 1 1 SR 1 1
W ngqrnnfcT I UWF ?r mftetsnnn I qtsqTqrf^W:

q^q" ^r^q[cl9bl'q wnld 1 1 ?^l I 3m ^Hl^-Hcqclgd I cRT^T Tp^prmTpncf
cfT t^WT I cTT fRT f^T: q^W Jp^fcIshKII: 1 1 ?Hl I apr ntftmnfcT I
nw ^qqqq^zrcf n nrnnr 1 3mncT I ms#|- nm: qtr ^qqqi^Fcfl
infer I it# q" nr ffn?rr ijqpftntt n n# tn I Rsjl

3iwr#s?nwnTnnnT I nfe f#mranq#s^n- ernstr I w qfrrft-
nsf# I i?«i I # #it srfcFT I ctctmst ?# n# mnm I ctwtt npmfr: I
sg- nrsftnm srmn rc#ft ! t f nTfttftn#fcr I # hw qftsrft-
5 rt 1 i d-bHi^K^Hi^-Hfxi #%n^nf#r I x# ^ m r#r mr arfteftsrftr
n#r mp# ^si qmqrr nnmnT#ts%qfM i qq |nf## trj gfrrq-
ftfijnft t fern# nrtmt nnfer I sm n q,#rmj nnfer #r temj
nT#f^#fcr n |w nT#mr *raft ll^ll

nftnim anf^efefHr ft m l qrtr nr 3T^mf m: I rrmr ft nr
3lf hT qn": I cl <frH 1^4 <irH I c=q'!rH l^'n I 1 cM l u I' '3cn>iqfc1 cT#n rl^^lfcl I t^T ft
nrsrfTnfqn: null

rrq- n: ^ ffqqft: I nntffrfr I crmmn- qfciwwrf ffqqft: I Roll
rnr ^ ttc[ ^piRqft; I np# n^r I ot qn qftwmrf n^rqqqft: I R ? 1 1
tttt ;j per vm l np# nrtn m mmtfcT donm nmnr I ntn mr:
qgftnr mfr w^r mfr nrtr mr i#tft#tcnfft: mtstr dwtn
nm I ®pgcf ^rer ; ndfnrdt n qn^mrrq #n 1 1 RR 1 1 ^ q n
n^fn: I gwr nr nn I srntr tf# ntmrnm I nrtn ttnr I mm thnr tft
nn#fn: IR3II

cPgjft <mh n^rngnm I 3m mm qmr nttr

f#qmnnrait#^nTm 3nftmrs^#tnnrqf^ft I mr m |fm e~ rfpt
tlq j liqRfrt I RY 1 1

nm term mrat n: w #n nqf# m I nm # mr qn mr I
riWKifrcjm' ntmnrf# mqf###r I rmr nmr mqmnnnTf^m npffrr I

42

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

1.3.25

beyond death, the fire now blazes here. 13 Then it carried breath. And when breath
was freed from death, it became wind. So, having gone beyond death, the wind now
blows here. 14 Then it carried sight. And when sight was freed from death, it became
the sun. So, having gone beyond death, the sun now glows up there. 15 Then it car-
ried hearing. And when hearing was freed from death, it became the quarters. These
quarters have gone beyond death. 16 Then it carried the mind. And when the mind
was freed from death, it became the moon. So, having gone beyond death, the moon
now shines up there. In the same way, this deity carries beyond the reach of death
anyone who knows this.

17 Then the breath within the mouth procured a supply of food for itself by
singing, for it alone eats whatever food is eaten and stands firm in this world. 18 But
the other deities said to it: “This whole world is nothing but food ! And you have
procured it for yourself by singing. Give us a share of that food.” It told them,
“Come and gather around me.” They said, “Very well,” and gathered around it on
all sides. Therefore, whatever food one eats through it satisfies also these others.
When someone comes to know this, his people will gather around him in the same
way; he will become their patron, their chief, and their leader; he will become an
eater of food and a sovereign. And if anyone among his people tries to become a
rival of someone who knows this, that man will be incapable of supporting even his
own dependents. On the other hand, anyone who follows him, as well as anyone
who, while following him, wishes to support his own dependents, becomes capable
of supporting them.

19 This breath is Ayasya, the Angirasa, for it is the essence of the bodily parts.
Now, the essence of the bodily parts is breath, for it is very clear — the essence of
the bodily parts is breath. Therefore, any part of the body from which breath departs
is sure to wither, for it is the very essence of the bodily parts.

20 And it is also Brhaspati. Brhatl, after all, is speech, and it is the lord (pati ) of
speech. So it is Brhaspati. 21 And it is also Brahmanaspati. Brahman, after all, is
speech, and it is the lord {pad ) of speech. So it is Brahmanaspati. 22 And it is also
the Saman. The Saman, after all, is Speech. “It is both she (sa) and he ( ama )” — this
gave the name to and discloses the true nature of the Saman. Or maybe it is called
Saman because it is equal in size ( sama ) to a gnat or a mosquito, on the one hand,
and to an elephant, to these three worlds, or even to the entire universe, on the other.
When anyone comes to know the Saman in this way, he obtains union with and
residence in the same world as the Saman. 23 And it is also the High Chant
(udgitha). The “high” (ut) is, after all, breath, for this whole world is held up
(uttabdha) bybreath. And “chant” ( githa ) is simply speech. Since it is high (ut) and
it is chant (githa), it is the High Chant (udgitha). 24 This same point was made by
Brahmadatta Caikitaneya while he was drinking King Soma: “May this King make
my head shatter apart if Ayasya Angirasa sang the High Chant by any other means,
for by speech and breath alone did he sing it.”

25 When someone knows the wealth of this Saman, he comes to possess wealth.
Now, the Saman’s wealth (sva) is the tone (svara) itself. For this reason, when
someone is about to carry out priestly functions, he hopes for a rich tone in his voice
so he can perform his priestly functions with a voice rich in tone. And for the same

43

1 . 3.25

The Early Upanisads

cTWraf - qKdR fRg^RT T^- | 3 tRT q^q- ^ ^fcffR- | ^qq qr q-

R sR IRHlI

cfRT fcTRT HT¥t q §Rjf X tq qqfcT WIRT 1 cTRT

gqRq | qqfcr fiw gqR q rfittrtt?: qqR £R ll^ll

cTW fcTW rR zr: qfcTW ^#Tf Icftafa ! cRq R fR RR$5T I
rRt fR iqRR RTRTW: Sffcffeqt RRcT I 3TW Rq IRq qif : IR«||

3TW: '-v.|Tii7[v.!Ro!«:rrR: I q R iqqr yWldT' FW SFcRfcT I q qq
RRTRrRdllR ; 3Rcf I

•O %

qqqr qr qqqq
ctrtt qr vyqilMqq
^rqrqt^r qqRfR I

q qRITqcfr qr qqqRfR I ^qt qqrqqijR qqqnjR qr

cgf^r^cidq.R | cTqqt qT FzftfcRtqRfcT I ^_c^R qqt ^RfcH^ci ^cRldi^cf
zmqiJjd’ qr cgfRRrtcnqq I ^RtRpgq qqRfR I qq faonjdfltaTf&r I
qq qqftqqfR qfRnfR ^wrqRsqraqrqRcr I qqrR Rj qt f°fRr R
qqqRrrq I q trcr qRfRpRT?qR qr qrpqqrq qr R qqq qrqqR
qqrqrqfcr I d<Rd$RrjR c t I q fqMRqcrrqT qiqqfer q qqRrrqrq
Rq \\R6\\

II ?fR grftR qT^qq n

qirRRqw qiRRqqqfRq I qrsqRRq qiRqqqqrsqw I qrsqqqfr-
?qR sqqqr I cfcfts^HHiqdd I ddHi^Rld^TdfRdlsgH^rHRRliJ F®M-
^rqrnr rtcT qqqr qqfcr I q qc^sqrr?q^w?qq ! RrFqq RRrqqqrgw: I
afmfcT q R q R RrsqrirgRf fqqfR q qR Rq 1 1 ? 1 1

qqfRRq I qqqRqqqR fRRfR I q qrqRRrRRr qRRqqifRr uwih
jRRRfRl cTcT RTIFT qR Rqrq I qqd^Rqq I IRRRll qR qqfR IRII

44

Bfhaclaranyaka JJpanisad

1.4.2

reason, people always try to find a priest with a rich tone for a sacrifice, that is, one
who possesses that wealth. A man undoubtedly comes to possess wealth when he
knows in this way the wealth of the Saman.

26 When someone knows the gold of this Saman, he comes to possess gold.
Now the Saman’ s gold ( suvarna ) is the tone (svara) itself. A man undoubtedly
comes to possess gold when he knows in this way the gold of the Saman.

22 When someone knows the basis of this Saman, he comes to possess a solid
basis. Now, the Saman’s basis is speech itself, for, basing itself on speech, the
breath sings it. Some, however, take food to be its basis.

28 Next comes the chanting of the purificatory lauds. The Prastotr priest sings the
Introductory Praise of the Saman, and, as he is singing the Introductory Praise, the
patron of the sacrifice should silently recite:

From the unreal
lead me to the real!

From the darkness
lead me to the light!

From death

lead me to immortality!

The unreal is death, and the real is immortality — so, when he says, “From the unreal
lead me to the real,” what he is really saying is: “From death lead me to immortal-
ity,” in other words, “Make me immortal.” Darkness is death, and light is immor-
tality — so, when he says, “From the darkness lead me to the light,” what he is really
saying is: “From death lead me to immortality,” in other words, “Make me immor-
tal.” In the statement, “From death lead me to immortality,” there is nothing
obscure.

He may, further, procure a supply of food for himself by singing the remaining
lauds. When he is singing them, therefore, he should choose as a reward anything he
may desire. An Udgatr priest who has this knowledge is able to procure by his
singing whatever he desires, either for himself or for the patron of the sacrifice.
Now this is true world conquest. When a man knows that Saman in this way, there
is no fear of his being left without a world.

4 In the beginning this world was just a single body ( atman ) shaped like a man.

He looked around and saw nothing but himself. The first thing he said was,
“Here I am!” and from that the name “I” came into being. Therefore, even today
when you call someone, he first says, “It’s I,” and then states whatever other name
he may have. That first being received the name “man” (purusa ), because ahead
( purva ) of all this he burnt up (us) all evils. When someone knows this, he burns up
anyone who may try to get ahead of him.

2 That first being became afraid; therefore, one becomes afraid when one is
alone. Then he thought to himself: “Of what should I be afraid, when there is no one

45

1.4.2

The Early Upanisads

ff t ^ ^ I cTFTRt^T^t -T ^dc! I d" f^cTld^^d^ I TT fjdMhld
W d%dM I TT fd^dcdlT t?JNIdi|d I dcf. qfcT?a“ dsfr

dTTTddW I d^f^d^ddifW dT ^fcT f dW dlddc^: | rTFH^-
ddTddTr: ^ I dT I cTcfr dJW SfWRRf II 3 1 1

dt j dTdPFT 5Rf3^r dwFct I f^drftfcr I

dT ftp? fcRT: I dT d^TTWT I cfdt dldtSdTW I Td^dTdW-

|dT: I d^ftcRT d^TT ?cR: I dT d^TmdcT I cT?T IJ^dWlW I
3I^dTmd^ ddcf ?dT: I arfafcrcf ^cTT: I dT d^dlWcf I ddTSdTT-
dtSdTddT | q^T f^r fr^TT fMfcJddWddFT^TTgW 11*11

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

1.4.7

but me?” So his fear left him, for what was he going to be afraid of? One is, after
all, afraid of another.

3He found no pleasure at all; so one finds no pleasure when one is alone. He
wanted to have a companion. Now he was as large as a man and a woman in close
embrace. So he split (pat ) his body into two, giving rise to husband (pati) and wife
( patni ). Surely this is why Yajnavalkya used to say: “The two of us are like two
halves of a block.” The space here, therefore, is completely filled by the woman.

He copulated with her, and from their union human beings were born. 4 She
then thought to herself: “After begetting me from his own body ( dtman ), how could
he copulate with me? I know — I’ll hide myself.” So she became a cow. But he be-
came a bull and again copulated with her. From their union cattle were born. Then
she became a mare, and he a stallion; she became a female donkey, and he, a male
donkey. And again he copulated with her, and from their union one-hoofed animals
were born. Then she became a female goat, and he, a male goat; she became a ewe,
and he, a ram. And again he copulated with her, and from their union goats and
sheep were born. In this way he created every male and female pair that exists,
down to the very ants.

5 It then occurred to him: “I alone am the creation, for I created all this.” From
this “creation” came into being. Anyone who knows this prospers in this creation of
his.

6 Then he churned like this and, using his hands, produced fire from his mouth
as from a vagina. As a result the inner sides of both these — the hands and the
mouth — are without hair, for the inside of the vagina is without hair. “Sacrifice to
this god. Sacrifice to that god”— people do say these things, but in reality each of
these gods is his own creation, for he himself is all these gods. From his semen,
then, he created all that is moist here, which is really Soma. Food and eater — that is
the extent of this whole world. Food is simply Soma, and the eater is fire.

This is brahman's supercreation. It is a supercreation because he created the
gods, who are superior to him, and, being a mortal himself, he created the immor-
tals. Anyone who knows this stands within this supercreation of his.

7 At that time this world was without real distinctions; it was distinguished sim-
ply in terms of name and visible appearance — “He is so and so by name and has this
sort of an appearance.” So even today this world is distinguished simply interms of
name and visible appearance, as when we say, “He is so and so by name and has
this sort of an appearance.”

Penetrating this body up to the very nailtips, he remains there like a razor
within a case or a termite within a termite-hill. People do not see him, for he is in-
complete as he comes to be called breath when he is breathing, speech when he is
speaking, sight when he is seeing, hearing when he is hearing, and mind when he is
thinking. These are only the names of his various activities. A man who considers
him to be any one of these does not understand him, for he is incomplete within any
one of these. One should consider them as simply his self (dtman), for in it all these
become one. This same self (dtman) is the trail to this entire world, for by following

47

The Early Upanisads

F^ddlcdl I 3T^T
fT F ^ §TF ||V9||

# ^F I FFT f %

wnw l f

ftrftwr f <#f fttf l 3 ttftf

T FFF f?tF 5PRTW FFfcT 1 1 <£ 1 1

cFFTFFF I crat FT FFFT F FF dFFFF I c(qw

7Tvrc^!unj-r | srfcFttsF FFFTF g^fcT I df^

f TT^r ^ftf qfTiFftfcr f 3 # f# FFfcr I qw f f
stuff fftt f ff% I ff fTw ^rt i §q i ^ s-f) id i f * i) sFH'Ffi
tF I W T^F F ^TRTF I FFT F t - FFT: FSTFt FFF ;£3FF
gwr FqpFH'fe I tTof#!T^ qwr^TI^iT FcrfcT f§FF FgJ I

cFT faF q^d-HF^ir f^f: ll?o||

FFT FT FvTF 3]
' qi^TcTTf^

I d^d? F5T cepTFcT I rTF
FW: FFfT FT: F^Nt FFT

Tenter I FFT

FRTFfcT FFT WF

F F FF

l??ll

F ^F STFFcT | F I FR}lT

t FF 3j if^cFT f¥k ^FT FFF ^fcT 11^1

F % 5FRFTT I F #F

qwr I ft t- w I ff ffF Ff

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

1.4.14

it one comes to know this entire world, just as by following their tracks one finds
[the cattle]. Whoever knows this finds fame and glory.

8 This innermost thing, this self ( atman ) — it is dearer than a son, it is dearer
than wealth, it is dearer than everything else. If a man claims that something other
than his self is dear to him, and someone were to tell him that he will lose what he
holds dear, that is liable to happen. So a man should regard only his self as dear to
him. When a man regards only his self as dear to him, what he holds dear will never
perish.

9 Now, the question is raised: “Since people think that they will become the Whole
by knowing brahman, what did brahman know that enabled it to become the
Whole?”

10 In the beginning this world was only brahman, and it knew only itself
{atman), thinking: “I am brahman As a result, it became the Whole. Among the
gods, likewise, whosoever realized this, only they became the Whole. It was the
same also among the seers and among humans. Upon seeing this very point, the seer
Vamadeva proclaimed: “I was Manu, and I was the sun.” This is true even now. If a
man knows “I am brahman ” in this way, he becomes this whole world. Not even the
gods are able to prevent it, for he becomes their very self (atman). So when a man
venerates another deity, thinking, “He is one, and I am another,” he does not under-
stand. As livestock is for men, so is he for the gods. As having a lot of livestock is
useful to a man, so each man proves useful to the gods. The loss of even a single
head of livestock is painful; how much more if many are lost. The gods, therefore,
are not pleased at the prospect of men coming to understand this.

1 1 In the beginning this world was only brahman, only one. Because it was only one,
brahman had not fully developed. It then created the ruling power, a form superior
to and surpassing itself, that is, the ruling powers among the gods — Indra, Varuna,
Soma, Rudra, Parjanya, Yama, Mrtyu, and Isana. Hence there is nothing higher than
the ruling power. Accordingly, at a royal anointing a Brahmin pays homage to a
Ksatriya by prostrating himself. He extends this honor only to the ruling power.
Now, the priestly power ( brahman ) is the womb of the ruling power. Therefore,
even if a king should rise to the summit of power, it is to the priestly power that he
returns in the end as to his own womb. So, one who hurts the latter harms his own
womb and becomes so much the worse for harming someone better than him.

12 Brahman still did not become fully developed. So it created the Vaisya class,
that is, the types of gods who are listed in groups — Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, All-
gods, and Maruts.

13 It still did not become fully developed. So it created the Sudra class, that is,
Pusan. Now, Pusan is this very earth, for it nourishes this whole world, it nourishes
all that exists.

!4 It still did not become fully developed. So it created the Law ( dharma ), a
form superior to and surpassing itself. And the Law is here the ruling power stand-
ing above the ruling power. Hence there is nothing higher than the Law. Therefore,

49

1.4.14

The Early Upanisads

% F SPf: fW ^ FT I dFlFIF FFrftfcT I £pt FT =m*d

dcF qqcflfd I R,dF^d^FF FFfcT 1 1 ?V||

cT^dW t&T I F#^F J^ufl’ FJf%

^tRtF: t#T %T: ^ I FFTTFETtF ^F FF-

l i^fft % frtw wfrmdcf I ff *fr w dr wi|w
e^T^T f f ffRft w ftfr^tk^fst ffT^ftf I

FT cFFTfcT d«£IFJI-dd: #FF RjF | 3TRFTF ^IF

e5td>3HI^'d I F F FTcFTF^IF oilF'dRIFt' F FRF cfdf #Fcf I
FFR^FFFFt FFFfFRFTf cfdc^T^ !I?MI

FFT 3TF FT 3TTW F^FT ^TTRt e5t^: I F FwJb'ITct' FFF# ctF ^FTFT
FtF: I 3fF q^5|Tr ^TfPqTF I 3TF ■MfcR^WTr f^nfrT 2 ddlFTf^r^ 3 cTF

f^ornr I ff ff^wfiffcT f^f}sstf ^rrfcr 3 f f^wiftf I ff
C~ iJVl^pn5d:' fci.^r' R^FIF l w ww <wtm f^ftfe'-
cRPF F-d r 'qfFr ^TT FTF: I W F t FTTF c^FIFRfefa'^F
ddTPv I dgr M,dRRci 41dTRidd 1 1 ? %, 1 1

3TTcttdW 3mfttd5" XT3T I FRFTFFF FTFT F W RFFtFPF Rfr *T
FI7FF cpfRffcT I ^dlFf^' FTF: I ^FlftHId'l FFT f^cf I cRFT^
F^lF^fFTFR Fld'Mcl d IR I FTTFF RFFRtTF Rd R FI KF F 7 ? - F>^f~
£TfcT I F >y|c|c^ch|i}c^R> F ^ lylF'J'dd TJF d IdFFcl I cfFTT 'Jrtddl I
TFT RFTWcFT I FTWRT I RTF: RFT I FgdRjF f^rTF I FgFT R" dft-
^Ss? 1 I FtF ^FF I fRFf % F^FlfcT I FTdtFTFT F# I FFFFT R - Ft
FFrfcT I F ircf FTsFFT W: I RFFFT: R^H I FTFdTT: RW: I RTFFRlF F#
FlFF f^FT I df^F F^Wrfcl" 2 1 1 ?V9 1 1

II ?Rr fiftff II

Brhadaranyaka Upanisacl

1.4.17

a weaker man makes demands of a stronger man by appealing to the Law, just as
one does by appealing to a king. Now, the Law is nothing but the truth. Therefore,
when a man speaks the truth, people say that he speaks the Law; and when a man
speaks the Law, people say that he speaks the truth. They are really the same thing.

15 So there came to be the priestly power, the ruling power, the Vaisya class,
and the Sudra class. Among the gods the priestly power ( brahman ) came into being
only in the form of fire, and among humans as a Brahmin; it further became a
Ksatriya in the form of a Ksatriya, a Vaisya in the form of a Vaisya, and a Sudra in
the form of a Sudra. In the fire, therefore, people seek to find a world for themselves
among the gods, and in the Brahmin a world among humans, for brahman came
into being in these two forms.

If someone were to depart from this world without perceiving his own world, it will
be of no use to him as it remains unknown to him, just like the Veda that is not re-
cited or a rite that is left undone. If a man who does not know this performs even a
grand and holy rite, it is sure to fade away after his death. It is his self ( atman ) alone
that a man should venerate as his world. And if someone venerates his self alone as
his world, that rite of his will never fade away, because from his very self he will
produce whatever he desires.

l 6 Now, this self {atman) is a world for all beings. So, when he makes offerings
and sacrifices, he becomes thereby a world for the gods. When he recites the Vedas,
he becomes thereby a world for the seers. When he offers libations to his ancestors
and seeks to father offspring, he becomes thereby a world for his ancestors. When
he provides food and shelter to human beings, he becomes thereby a world for hu-
man beings. When he procures fodder and water for livestock, he becomes thereby a
world for livestock. When creatures, from wild animals and birds down to the very
ants, find shelter in his houses, he becomes thereby a world for them. Just as a man
desires the well-being of his own world, so all beings desire the well-being of any-
one who knows this. All this is known and has been thoroughly examined.

17 In the beginning this world was only the self {atman), only one. He had this de-
sire: “I wish I had a wife so I could father offspring. I wish I had wealth so I could
perform rites.” That is the full extent of desire; one does not get anything more,
even if one desires it. So even today when one is single, one has the desire: “I wish I
had a wife so I could father offspring. I wish I had wealth so I could perform rites.”
As long as someone has not obtained either of these, he considers himself to be ut-
terly incomplete. Now, this is his completeness — his mind is himself {atman)\ his
speech is his wife; his breath is his offspring; his sight is his human wealth, for peo-
ple find wealth with their sight, while his hearing is his divine wealth, for people
hear it with their hearing; and his body {atman) is his rites, for one performs rites
with one’s body. This is the fivefold sacrifice — the sacrificial animal is fivefold, the
human being is fivefold, and this whole world, whatever there is, is fivefold. Any-
one who knows this obtains this whole world.

51

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

1.5.3

[T Now there are these verses:

By wisdom and by toil,
when the father produced
the seven kinds of food —

One was common to all here.

Two he assigned to the gods.
Three he kept for himself.

One he gave to the beasts.

All beings depend on it,
both those that breathe
and those that do not.

Why aren’t they exhausted,
when they are eaten every day?
The man who knows it
as the inexhaustible —

he eats food with his face;
he reaches the gods;
he lives on invigorating food.

2 “By wisdom and by toil when the father produced the seven kinds of food” — for it
is through wisdom and toil that the father produced them. “One was common to all
here” — the food of his that is common to all is what people here eat, and a man who
venerates it does not get rid of evil, because it is a mixed food. “Two he assigned to
the gods” — they are the burnt offerings and the nonburnt offerings. That is why
people offer burnt and nonburnt offerings to the gods. Others, however, say that
they are the new-moon and the full-moon sacrifices. Therefore, one should not offer
sacrifices endlessly. “One he gave to the beasts” — this refers to milk, for in their
infancy both animals and men live solely on milk. As soon as a child is born, there-
fore, they make it lick some ghee or suckle at the breast. So people call a new-born
calf a “non-grass-eater.” “All beings depend on it, both those that breathe and those
that do not” — on milk, indeed, do all beings depend, both those that breathe and
those that do not. Now, there are people who claim: “Anyone who offersoblations
of milk for a full year averts repeated death.” One should not believe that, for a man
in possession of this knowledge averts repeated death on the very day itself that he
offers such an oblation, because he thereby offers the whole world as a supply of
food to the gods. “Why don’t they decrease, when they are eaten every day?” — the
inexhaustible is clearly the Person, for he is constantly generating this food. “The
man who knows it as the inexhaustible” — the inexhaustible is clearly the Person, for
he generates this food by constant attention and by means of rites. If he stops doing
it, the food is sure to be exhausted. “He eats food with his face” — “face” here means
the mouth. “He reaches the gods; he lives on invigorating food” — this is a eulogy.

3 “Three he kept for himself’ — mind, speech, and breath; these he kept for him-
self (at man). We say: “I didn’t see; my mind was elsewhere. I didn’t hear; my mind
was elsewhere.” For it is through the mind that one sees and hears. Desire, decision,

53

1 . 5.3

The Early Upanisads

PfePt f%f^5r^T PpRTpT £J lei <>^Tc1 (?T d rH <f PT qp | cTFRT^T
WIT fpPFTrfcT I P: PW PPfT PFtP FT I TTtfr fRRr
3fFT^¥ % T I RFTtTCFfr WT PpTT: PFRtST fr^PPT# RFT ^ |
:<a-ppf PT 3WTW I PlfFt JH Hi ^ ^ : SITFPP: 1 1 3 1 1

PPT o)l P>l T^cT qp I PFtPTP cilP) TRtSFT ftqicilfy: HlWfSUt PlPT: 1 1 V 1 1

PPt tip I PRtpifpr TTT P|3p: RTP: FTfpIp: I Ik M

^PT: ftcRT PJtpT qjp irp I P»1p ^PT FT ftpT: PIT FTFT: 1 1^1 1

ftpT FTPT STtcT HP I W^taPfTPTRFT: SFJTT llisll

f^fTTcT fM^npTFTFf^pfp'i^P IIP I ilfrpP fn ^1 1 cl PTPFTPTF I Plf^T

^ C\ N

f^fllcTT I PFtT F^TPTpfcT I Id 1 1 fM^TpTFT PWT I FTT %

C\ C\ '

fcrf^rWP'T I FT FT P^FTIpfcT IKII STW FpTF I RFTT

N C\ c\ N

fclfasn'cT: | vm T$T P^PIIcifci 1 1 ? ° 1 1

C\

cT# FTP: gf^T# P^FF I S^IWW#: 1 I FPIFPTF FITTFcfr
cfl'cjTH'tlHRl: II?? II

pfpFT FFPT ?fh P^FF I ^^FfWlf^T; 1 I PPTP^P FTEPTFcIt

^WldlHyraiR^r: I cfr F%TT I PP: TTtTPTPP I P I P
irpTSflW: 1 ftcfftt t HW: I TIFT PIPT FpfcT P qp %F 1 1 ?Rl I

ptcRP TWFTTF: 51#FT I PpflWFfT 1 Pp. I PHTPFfF SITTFITFPT
PFFPTTPFrat PP: I P q^ p£ FT PFT: F^STPT: I P FT fpFRTPP
T'TR^STTPTT P PtP" PpfcT I PP PT IjPTTTTrfjqTpfcTTT P cilP
ppfcf 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

P qp PPcPT: HPRfcT: FPPFp 1 I PFT PPP qp T3PPP Pe5T: I
ptpTFT TtP^fr 1 PPT I P pf%f^PT P F^cfcT P #F^ I PtSPIPW Ffr-

O °V

^fPPT PT^Pf 1 Po5PT 'trl^fnq FTFTJPTRf^PT PP: qTcMfpP I PFTT^FT <lft
RFPJP: FTP T f^i^PPIpf^ 5pppTF}pFTT qp ^PPIPT 3 Tt 1%T0" 1 1 ?^l I
PT % P PPTFT qPTTfrT: FPPPFTFfW P PlSF^pf^cJFF: I TFT
fPdPp F5ppp FPT: I 3PT^PRP PTgqfl” Fc5T I P f^ft^PT P M^rlSP P

54

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

1.5.15

doubt, faith and lack of faith, steadfastness and lack of steadfastness, shame, reflec-
tion, and fear — all these are simply the mind. Therefore, even when someone
touches us on the back, we perceive it through the mind. Every sound that exists is
simply speech, for the former is fixed up to its limit (on the latter), whereas the lat-
ter is not. Out-breath, in-breath, inter-breath, up-breath, link-breath — as forms of
breathing, they are all simply breath. These are what constitute this self ( atman ) — it
consists of speech, it consists of mind, and it consists of breath.

4 The three worlds are also these — this world is speech; the middle world is the
mind; and the world above is breath.

5 The three Vedas are also these — the Rgveda is speech; the Yajurveda is the
mind; and the Samaveda is breath.

6 The gods, ancestors, and humans are also these — the gods are speech; the an-
cestors are the mind; and humans are breath.

7 The father, the mother, and the child are also these— the father is the mind; the
mother is speech; and the child is breath.

8 What one knows, what one seeks to know, and what one does not know are
also these. Whatever someone knows is a form of speech, for speech is what he
knows. By becoming that, speech helps him. 9 Whatever someone seeks to know is
a form of the mind, for the mind is what he seeks to know. By becoming that, the
mind helps him. 10 Whatever someone does not know is a form of breath, for breath
is what he does not know. By becoming that, breath helps him.

1 1 The earth is the body of speech, and this fire here below is its luminous ap-
pearance. So, the extent of the earth and of this fire is the same as the extent of
speech.

12 The sky is the body of the mind, and that sun up there is its luminous appear-
ance. So, the extent of the sky and of that sun is the same as the extent of the mind.
This pair copulated, and from their union was born breath, which is Indra. And he is
without rival, for there has to be another to have a rival. Whoever knows this will
have no rival.

13 The waters are the body of breath, and that moon up there is its luminous ap-
pearance. So, the extent of the waters and of that moon is the same as the extent of
breath.

Now, all these are of equal extent, all are without limit. So those who venerate
them as finite win only a limited world, whereas those who venerate them as infinite
win a world without limit.

* 4 Prajapati is the year, and he is composed of sixteen parts. Fifteen of his parts are
the nights, while his sixteenth part is constant. With each passing night he waxes
and wanes. With that sixteenth part of his he enters, on the night of the new moon,
all beings that sustain life and is born again the next morning. In honor of that di-
vinity, therefore, on that night a man should not take the life of any being that
sustains life, not even that of a lizard.

15 A man who knows this is himself the year, and he is Prajapati composed of
sixteen parts. His fifteen parts consist merely of his wealth, while his sixteenth part

55

1 . 5.15

The Early Upanisads

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

1.5.21

is his body ( dtrnan ). Only in his wealth does he wax and wane. His body is the
wheel-head, while his wealth is the wheel-plate. So, even though a man may have
been plundered of everything he has, if he remains alive with his body ( atman ) in-
tact, people say: “He got away with just the wheel-plate!”

16 Now, there are only three worlds: the world of men, the world of ancestors,
and the world of gods. One can win this world of men only through a son, and by no
other rite, whereas one wins the world of ancestors through rites, and the world of
gods through knowledge. The best of these, clearly, is the world of gods, and for
this reason they praise knowledge.

17 Next, the rite of transfer. When a man thinks that he is about to die, he tells his
son: “You are the brahman ! You are the sacrifice! You are the world!” The son
replies: “I am the brahman\ I am the sacrifice! I am the world!” All the vedic
learning that has been acquired is subsumed under “brahman” 4 , all the sacrifices are
subsumed under “sacrifice”; and all the worlds are subsumed under “world.” That is
the full extent of this whole universe — “By becoming the Whole, may he assist me
from here.” Therefore, they say that an educated son opens up the world, and for
this reason people educate their sons. When a man who knows this departs from this
world, he enters his son with these very vital functions (prana ). And if there is
anything he may have done wrong, his son delivers him from all that. That is why
he is called “son.” So it is only through a son that a man finds a secure footing in
this world.

Thereupon, these divine and immortal vital functions (prana ) enter him.

1 8 From the earth and fire divine speech enters him. Divine speech is that which
makes whatever one says happen. l9 From the sky and the sun the divine mind en-
ters him. The divine mind is that which makes a person always happy and never
sorrowful. 20 From the waters and the moon the divine breath enters him. The divine
breath is that which never falters or fails, whether it is moving or is at rest.

Now, a man who knows this becomes the self (atman) of all beings; he be-
comes just like this divine breath. All beings are sure to shower a man who knows
this with gifts, just as they shower this divine breath with gifts. Whatever grief may
afflict these creatures, it remains limited to them. Only what is good goes to him,
for it is impossible that anything bad should go to the gods.

21 Next, an examination of the observances. Prajapati created the vital functions
(prana). Once they were created, they began to compete with each other. Speech
threw out the challenge: “I’m going to speak!” Sight shot back: “I’m going to see!”
and hearing: “I’m going to hear!” The other vital functions bragged likewise, each
according to its function. Taking the form of weariness, death took hold of them; it
captured and shackled them. That is why speech becomes weary, as do sight and
hearing. The central breath alone, however, death could not capture. So they sought
to know him, thinking: “He is clearly the best among us; whether he is moving or at
rest, he never falters or fails. Come, let us all become forms of him!” So they all
became merely forms of him. Therefore, they are called “breaths” (prana) after him.

57

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

2 . 1.1

For this very reason, a family is called after a man in that family who has this
knowledge. So, anyone who competes with a man with this knowledge withers
away. Yes, he withers away and dies in the end.

That was with respect to the body ( atman ). 22 What follows is with respect to
the divine sphere.

Fire threw out the challenge: “I’m going to blaze!” The sun shot back: Tm
going to glow!” and the moon: Tm going to shine!” The other deities bragged
likewise, each according to its divine function. The wind holds the same position
among the deities as the central breath does among the vital functions, for the other
deities disappear, but not the wind. The wind is the only deity that does not set.

22 Now there is this verse:

From which the sun rises.

And into which it sets;

For it does rise from breath, and into breath it sets.

The gods made it the Law,

It’s the same today and tomorrow.

What these deities sought to do of old, they continue to do even today. There-
fore, a man should undertake a single observance — he should breathe in and breathe
out with the thought “May evil death not capture me.” And if someone undertakes
it, let him resolve to pursue it to the end. By doing that he will win union with and
the same world as this deity.

6 Clearly, this world is a triple reality: name, visible appearance, and action.

Speech is the Uktha among names, because all names arise from it. It is the
Saman among them, because it is the same as all the names. It is brahman among
them, because it bears all the names.

2 Sight is the Uktha among visible appearances, because all visible appearances
arise from it. It is the Saman among them, because it is the same as all visible ap-
pearances. It is brahman among them, because it bears all visible appearances.

3 The body {atman) is the Uktha among actions, because all actions arise from
it. It is the Saman among them, because it is the same as all actions. It is brahman
among them, because it bears all actions.

While this is a triple reality, yet it is one — it is this self {atman). While the self
is one, yet it is this triple reality. Now the immortal here is veiled by the real.
Clearly, the immortal is breath, while the real is name and visible appearance; the
breath here is veiled by these two.

ADHYAYA 2

1 There was once a learned Gargya named Drpta-Balaki. He said to Ajatasatru,
the king of Kasi: “Let me tell you a formulation of truth {brahman).'" Ajata-

59

2 . 1.1

The Early Upanisads

F I TT T ^: I F licjldldlRd} ircfFTW 1 sT$flMTF flcT I F

ft^MTcT^Tf: I FT %T^FFTTf^5T: I arfcTW: F^FT TTFTFf FFT TTtfcT FT
STFTcT^W 2 IjfcT I F F ^d^Ml^sfcFFT: 3 F^Ff ^TTHT FFT FW
FFfcT IRII

F flFTF FF?f: I F FF7FV FFt FFF T^FIg' a^ftW ^fcT I F ffFT-
FT'dTcfF'J: I FT %f?FFTFf^W: I ff^TWTr:' FTFT FFtfcT FT 3T^cnj-
FTF #M F F ^ddMIFlSFTFt' FcT: m^T FFf?T | FTFTTW #Tcf 1 1 \ 1 1
F flFTF FRf: I F FFTFf 1 feffcT FFF I'FijFTF sT&flW ffcT I F
^FTFIdTdd'f: I FT %f^FFTFf^W: I ddFflfcl FT FF^FFTTF ffcT I F F
F^FTF^FIFT F F^fcT I sTFF FFT FFfcT l|V||

F ftFTF FF*f: I F q/FlFFTFF5t FFF i^FTf sf#FTF ffcT I F
SlFMMIdSrj: I FT %f^FTTd1^W: I F>?FFF?fffcr FT SF^d^W ffcT I
F F iTcT^ryTR^ g^fr FW q^H?WlfFlglcNrtM'l£cfa IlHlI

F ftFTF FT^f: I F F^fTF FIfY 3^' l^FTf FTFIFTF ffcT I F ftFT-

■^raiwf: I ft %^fftf1^w: I t^rsq^if^rr Tt^rfcT ft Ffitcr-
jw ^fcr I ^ ^ u;d FF^qiF- *> t^y ; f tf-f fffttft IKII
F ftFW FF#: I q- ireriFF'# TW OcFFlV: FfltW ^fcT I F
^ctNIdTcT^lf: I FT %f^FFPFf^W: I ^FTOftf^rT FT Ff^d^W I
F F ^d^M^IFl' f^FTFrft# FFfcT I did 1^1 FT TFT FFfcT l|V9ll

F ftFTF FT^f : I F F/FTFFFJ FFF U,di)'FI£ FTFlFTF ^fcT I F ftFTFT-
FTcPSTFp I FT ^dRd'ddR^I : I TfcfTFF $fd FT F d dM Id $lcl I F F Fr^f-
^F^}H Idcl TfcRFF T?^d ^dd^fcl FTTfcTFF~F 1 FFT qfd'd'HlSdd l^d I del 1 1 F 1 1
F ftFTF FM: I F ft^TFFTF# FW FTFfFTF ?MHId ffeT I F
FtFTFTFTFFTF: I FT %^FFTFf^W: i ^IxF^^IrT FT FF^TTFFTF I F
F q^FFF^FT^ T Ff%wf FFfeT ! Tff%^#RF FFT FFfeT I FFT f:
dPld-^frl F^fFTrFfcTTPFcT IKII

F 1 ftFTF FF?f: I F FFW FFT TTI I ^TJ^TSFF <dl d A d'Tf 2 FITTFFF ffeT I
F ftFTFId Icl^ld: I FT ^dldH'FdRtdl : I 3Tgf^fcT FT FF^cTJFTF $ld I F
F FTcrtFFFTFT F#" ^cjlR^^lcb" 3TTF^icr I ^F ^T FFFTFITFr FFlfcT ll?o||

60

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

2 . 1.10

satru replied: “We’ll give you a thousand cows for such a speech! People are sure to
rush here, crying, ‘Here's a Janaka! Here's a Janaka!’”

2 Gargya then said: “It is the person up there in the sun that I venerate as brah-
man." Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I venerate
him only as the most eminent of all beings, as their head and king. Anyone who
venerates him this way will become the most eminent of all beings, he will become
their head and king.”

3 Gargya then said: “It is the person up there in the moon that I venerate as
brahman." Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I vener-
ate him only as Soma, the great king dressed in white. Anyone who venerates him
this way will have Soma pressed for him every day, and his food will never de-
crease.”

4 Gargya then said: “It is the person up there in lightning that I venerate as
brahman." Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I vener-
ate him only as the radiant one. Anyone who venerates him this way will become
radiant, and he will have radiant children.”

5 Gargya then said: “It is the person here in space that I venerate as brahman."
Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I venerate him only
as the full and nondepleting ( apravrt ) one. Anyone who venerates him this way will
be filled with children and livestock, and his children will not pass away ( udvrt )
from this world.”

6 Gargya then said: “It is the person here in the wind that I venerate as brah-
man .” Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I venerate
him only as Indra Vaikuntha, the invincible weapon. Anyone who venerates him
this way will become victorious and invincible, and he will triumph over his adver-
saries.”

7 Gargya then said: “It is the person here in the fire that I venerate as brahman."
Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I venerate him only
as the irresistible one. Anyone who venerates him this way will become irresistible,
and so will his children.”

8 Gargya then said: “It is the person here in the waters that I venerate as brah-
man." Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I venerate
him only as a resemblance. Anyone who venerates him this way will obtain only
what resembles him and not what does not resemble him; and one who resembles
him will be born from him.”

9 Gargya then said: “It is the person here in a mirror that I venerate as brah-
man." Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I venerate
him only as the shining one. Anyone who venerates him this way will shine, his
children will shine, and he will outshine everyone he meets.”

10 Gargya then said: “It is the sound drifting behind a man as he walks that I
venerate as brahman .” Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about
him! I venerate him only as life. Anyone who venerates him this way will live his
full life span in this world, and his lifebreath will not leave him before the appointed
time.”

61

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

2.1.20

l l Gargya then said: “It is the person here in the quarters that I venerate as brah-
man .” Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I venerate
him only as the inseparable companion. Anyone who venerates him this way will
always have a companion, and he will never be cut off from his entourage.”

12 Gargya then said: “It is the person here consisting of shadow that I venerate
as brahman .” Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I
venerate him only as death. Anyone who venerates him this way will live a full life
in this world, and death will not approach him before the appointed time.”

l3 Gargya then said: “It is the person here in the body ( atman ) that I venerate as
brahman.” Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t start a discussion with me about him! I
venerate him only as the one possessing a body. Anyone who venerates him this
way will come to possess a body, and so will his children.” Thereupon, Gargya fell
silent.

14 “Is that all?” asked Ajatasatru.

“That’s all.”

“It isn’t known with just that.”

“Let me come to you as your pupil,” said Gargya.

15 Ajatasatru replied: “Isn’t it a reversal of the norm for a Brahmin to become
the pupil of a Ksatriya, thinking, ‘He will tell me the formulation of truth (brah-
man)'! But I’ll see to it that you perceive it clearly.” Taking Gargya by the hand, he
got up, and the two went near a sleeping man. He greeted that man in these words:
“O Soma, great king dressed in white!” But he did not get up. Ajatasatru touched
him with his hand and woke him up. Then the man got up.

16 Ajatasatru asked: “When this man was asleep here, where was the person
consisting of perception? And from where did he return?” Gargya did not know the
answer.

17 Ajatasatru told him: “When this man was asleep here, the person consisting
of perception, having gathered the cognitive power of these vital functions (prana )
into his own cognitive power, was resting in the space within the heart. When that
person takes hold of them, then the man is said to be asleep. During that time the
breath remains in the grasp of that person, as do speech, sight, hearing, and mind.
1 8 Wherever he may travel in his dream, those regions become his worlds. He may
appear to become a great king or an eminent Brahmin, or to visit the highest and the
lowest regions. Just as a great king, taking his people with him, may move around
in his domain at will, so he, taking the vital functions here with him, moves around
his body at will.

19 “When a man is in deep dreamless sleep, on the other hand, and is not aware
of anything at all, this is what happens. There are seventy-two thousand veins
named Hita that run from the heart to the pericardium. He slips out of the heart
through these veins and rests within the pericardium. He rests there oblivious to
everything, just as a young man, a great king, or an eminent Brahmin remains
oblivious to everything at the height of sexual bliss.

20 “As a spider sends forth its thread, and as tiny sparks spring forth from a fire,
so indeed do all the vital functions (prana), all the worlds, all the gods, and all be-
ings spring from this self (atman). Its hidden name (upanisad) is ‘The real behind

63

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

2 . 3.2

the real,’ for the real consists of the vital functions, and the self is the real behind
the vital functions.”

2 A man who knows the youngling together with its placement and counter-
placement, its post and rope, will undoubtedly hold off the seven rivals who
hate him. That youngling, indeed, is one’s central breath. Its placement is this; its
counterplacement is this; its post is the breath; and its rope is food.

2 These seven who do not decrease stand by him. Rudra attaches himself to him
by means of the red streaks in the eye; rain, by means of the tears in the eye; sun, by
means of the pupil; fire, by means of the iris; Indra, by means of the white; earth, by
means of the lower eyelashes; and sky, by means of the upper eyelashes. When a
man knows this, his food will never decrease.

3 In this connection there is this verse:

There is a cup turned upside down;
its mouth at the bottom,
its bottom on top.

In it is placed dazzling splendor;

On its rim the seven seers sit,
as also an eighth —
speech joined to brahman.

“There is a bowl turned upside down, its mouth at the bottom, its bottom on top” —
the head here is indeed the “bowl turned upside down, its mouth at the bottom, its
bottom on top.” “In it is placed dazzling splendor” — “dazzling splendor” is no
doubt the vital functions {prana ); so this statement must refer to the vital functions.
“On its rim the seven seers sit” — the seers are no doubt the vital functions; so this
statement must refer to the vital functions. “As also an eighth — speech joined to
brahman ” — the eighth is speech, and it joins itself to brahman.

4 Gotama and Bharadvaja are really these two [ears] — Gotama is this [right]
one, and Bharadvaja is this [left] one. Visvamitra and Jamadagni are really these
two [eyes] — Visvamitra is this [right] one, and Jamadagni is this [left] one. Vasistha
and Kasyapa are really these two [nostrils] — Vasistha is this [right] one and
Kasyapa is this [left] one. Atri is really speech, for one eats ( atti ) with speech. So
Atri is really the same as “eating” (atti). When a man knows this, he becomes the
eater of this whole world, and the whole world here becomes his food.

3 There are, indeed, two visible appearances ( rupa ) of brahman — the one has a
fixed shape, and the other is without a fixed shape; the one is mortal, and the
other is immortal; the one is stationary, and the other is in motion; the one is Sat,
and the other is Tyam.

2 The one with a fixed shape consists of everything other than air and the inter-
mediate region; it is mortal and stationary; and it is Sat. That which gives warmth is
the essence of the one that has a fixed shape, that is mortal and stationary, and that
is Sat — for it is the essence of Sat.

65

Brhaclaranyaka Upanisad

2.4.5

3 The one without a fixed shape, on the other hand, consists of air and the in-
termediate region; it is immortal and in motion; and it is Tyam. The person within
the sun’s orb is the essence of the one that is without a fixed shape, that is immortal
and in motion, and that is Tyam — for he is the essence of Tyam.

That was with reference to the divine sphere. 4 The following is with reference
to the body ( atmari ).

The one with a fixed shape is this body itself insofar as it is distinct from breath
and the space within the body; it is mortal and stationary; and it is Sat. The eye is
the essence of the one that has a fixed shape, that is mortal and stationary, and that
is Sat — for it is the essence of Sat.

5 The one without a fixed shape, on the other hand, consists of breath and the
space within the body; it is immortal and in motion; and it is Tyam. The person
within the right eye is the essence of the one that is without a fixed shape, that is
immortal and in motion, and that is Tyam — for he is the essence of Tyam.

6 Now, the visible appearance of this person is like a golden cloth, or white
wool, or a red bug, or a flame, or a white lotus, or a sudden flash of lightning. And
when a man knows this, his splendor unfolds like a sudden flash of lightning.

Here, then, is the rule of substitution: “not — , not — for there is nothing be-
yond this “not.” And this is the name — “the real behind the real,” for the real
consists of the vital functions, and he is the real behind the vital functions.

4 “Maitreyl!” Yajnavalkya once said. “Look — I am about to depart from this
place. So come, let me make a settlement between you and Katyayanl.”

2 Maitreyl asked in reply: “If I were to possess the entire world filled with
wealth, sir, would it make me immortal?” “No,” said Yajnavalkya, “it will only
permit you to live the life of a wealthy person. Through wealth one cannot expect
immortality.”

3 “What is the point in getting something that will not make me immortal?” re-
torted Maitreyl. “Tell me instead, sir, all that you know.”

4 Yajnavalkya said in reply: “You have always been very dear to me, and now
you speak something very dear to me! Come and sit down. I will explain it to you.
But while I am explaining, try to concentrate.” 5 Then he spoke:

“One holds a husband dear, you see, not out of love for the husband; rather, it is
out of love for oneself {atmari) that one holds a husband dear. One holds a wife dear
not out of love for the wife; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds a wife
dear. One holds children dear not out of love for the children; rather, it is out of love
for oneself that one holds children dear. One holds wealth dear not out of love for
wealth; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds wealth dear. One holds the
priestly power dear not out of love for the priestly power; rather, it is out of love for
oneself that one holds the priestly power dear. One holds the royal power dear not
out of love for the royal power; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds the
royal power dear. One holds the worlds dear not out of love for the worlds; rather, it
is out of love for oneself that one holds the worlds dear. One holds the gods dear not
out of love for the gods; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds the gods
dear. One holds beings dear not out of love for beings; rather, it is out of love for

67

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

2.4.14

oneself that one holds beings dear. One holds the Whole dear not out of love for the
Whole; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds the Whole dear.

“You see, Maitreyl — it is one’s self ( atman ) which one should see and hear,
and on which one should reflect and concentrate. For by seeing and hearing one’s
self, and by reflecting and concentrating on one’s self, one gains the knowledge of
this whole world.

6 “May the priestly power forsake anyone who considers the priestly power to
reside in something other than his self (atman). May the royal power forsake any-
one who considers the royal power to reside in something other than his self. May
the gods forsake anyone who considers the gods to reside in something other than
his self. May beings forsake anyone who considers beings to reside in something
other than his self. May the Whole forsake anyone who considers the Whole to re-
side in something other than his self.

“All these — the priestly power, the royal power, worlds, gods, beings, the
Whole — all that is nothing but this self.

7 “It is like this. When a drum is being beaten, you cannot catch the external
sounds; you catch them only by getting hold of the drum or the man beating that
drum. 8 Or when a conch is being blown, you cannot catch the external sounds; you
catch them only by getting hold of the conch or the man blowing that conch. 9 Or
when a lute is being played, you cannot catch the external sounds; you catch them
only by getting hold of the lute or the man playing that lute.

10 “It is like this. As clouds of smoke billow from a fire lit with damp fuel, so
indeed the Rgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, the Atharva-Angirasa, histories, ancient
tales, sciences, hidden teachings (upanisad), verses, aphorisms, explanations, and
glosses — all these are the exhalation of this Immense Being. And they are the inha-
lation of that very Being.

1 1 “It is like this. As the ocean is the point of convergence of all the waters, so
the skin is the point of convergence of all sensations of touch; the nostrils, of all
odors; the tongue, of all tastes; sight, of all visible appearances; hearing, of all
sounds; the mind, of all thoughts; the heart, of all sciences; the hands, of all activi-
ties; the sexual organ, of all pleasures; the anus, of all excretions; the feet, of all
travels; and speech, of all the Vedas.

12 “It is like this. When a chunk of salt is thrown in water, it dissolves into that
very water, and it cannot be picked up in any way. Yet, from whichever place one
may take a sip, the salt is there! In the same way this Immense Being has no limit or
boundary and is a single mass of perception. It arises out of and together with these
beings and disappears after them — so I say, after death there is no awareness.”

After Yajnavalkya said this, 13 MaitreyI exclaimed: “Now, sir, you have totally
confused me by saying, ‘after death there is no awareness.’ ” He replied:

“Look, I haven’t said anything confusing; this body, you see, has the capacity
to perceive. 14 For when there is a duality of some kind, then the one can smell the
other, the one can see the other, the one can hear the other, the one can greet the
other, the one can think of the other, and the one can perceive the other. When,
however, the Whole has become one’s very self (atman), then who is there for one
to smell and by what means? Who is there for one to see and by what means? Who

69

The Early Upanisads

TT #T T# cff^ciT ?cTt f#T#T I q
F W fd# dc^H T^cf cfr^f ^ ^fc
d^flcT dc^bd W fMl 4 Kw I
Wit # f#T#|Rfd ll?V||

II #T sTTFTW II

ww ^t src^r

f WFrf l ## e#r *rfr w l wr-

?ll W 3 TTT:

# TWTTWcK STTfT

r #r 1 1 3 1 1 # ctfi:

#JT I |V| |

PTTS^cTW: q^TSJTW W
?ifwtgcTFrf^ I SIT#

#T IIM I fTT 1

m 1 3# f#t

W I 3 TTT

=ff# T# I K 1 1 # xRT:
W I WTf#T# cT

C\ -o

Tt#tS^cFRT : 3WTS#r ?T 4#
#T ^TffRt W I 3# f#cT:

W I 31W

M<M! 3rq ’

*r#r w l wnr-

C\ O

TW 5 TT ®^': 1 ?f#F
# #T I Kll 3 TW-

5 T#r W I wm

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

2.5.10

is there for one to hear and by what means? Who is there for one to greet and by
what means? Who is there for one to think of and by what means? Who is there for
one to perceive and by what means?

“By what means can one perceive him by means of whom one perceives this
whole world? Look — by what means can one perceive the perceiver?”

5 This earth is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this earth.

The radiant and immortal person in the earth and, in the case of the body
(i atman ), the radiant and immortal person residing in the physical body — they are
both one’s self (atman). It is the immortal; it is brahman, it is the Whole.

2 These waters are the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of these
waters. The radiant and immortal person in the waters and, in the case of the body,
the radiant and immortal person residing in semen — they are both one’s self. It is
the immortal; it is brahman, it is the Whole.

3 This fire is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this fire.
The radiant and immortal person in the fire and, in the case of the body, the radiant
and immortal person residing in speech — they are both one’s self. It is the immortal;
it is brahman, it is the Whole.

4 This wind is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this wind.
The radiant and immortal person in the wind and, in the case of the body, the radi-
ant and immortal person residing in breath — they are both one’s self. It is the
immortal; it is brahman, it is the Whole.

5 This sun is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this sun.
The radiant and immortal person in the sun and, in the case of the body, the radiant
and immortal person residing in sight — they are both one’s self. It is the immortal; it
is brahman, it is the Whole.

6 These quarters are the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of
these quarters. The radiant and immortal person in the quarters and, in the case of
the body, the radiant and immortal person residing in hearing — they are both one’s
self. It is the immortal; it is brahman, it is the Whole.

7 This moon is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this
moon. The radiant and immortal person in the moon and, in the case of the body,
the radiant and immortal person residing in the mind — they are both one’s self. It is
the immortal; it is brahman, it is the Whole.

8 This lightning is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this
lightning. The radiant and immortal person in lightning and, in the case of the body,
the radiant and immortal person full of radiance — they are both one’s self. It is the
immortal; it is brahman, it is the Whole.

9 This thunder is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this
thunder. The radiant and immortal person in thunder and, in the case of the body,
the radiant and immortal person connected with sound and tone — they are both
one’s self. It is the immortal; it is brahman, it is the Whole.

10 This space is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this
space. The radiant and immortal person in space and, in the case of the body, the

71

2 . 5.10

The Early Upanisads

3^^'RV cNR^Tts^cTTO 3WT WMW fWTagSTRRRRs^Y W:
q^RsgRr g RsggigRmjRR? gRt gRr 1 1 ? ° 1 1

3PT ?R: gRR VRTFTT W I $m ERR T gRR WlR W I ^T?£rRT-

c\ <3 C\ O

: gRt WT^RWpT £JI 4-^ ^fl -H ^(1 S^TcITW: gg-

RRg g- Rs sRt gRg 1 1 ? ? 1 1

ft gRf gRR ggiR g^ I sm ggrgr gRR ggRR w I wrg-
RRggcR RRgRRggW: gWT WIWM grgRRRgRsgggg:
ggRgRr 1 g- RgggRgggRt Rtf gRg 1 1 HI I

ft giRf gRR ggiR W I 3Rg JTRWT H^tfar WlR W I JT58W-

' -O C\ O o C\ o

gRpggR tRgRsgggg: q# wRTwrrw gigq^RHRsgggg:
ggRsgRg g- sfRt gR>T 1 1 H M

3TWcgT gRR ■RcTFlt gf I STFTTrfR': gRR ^#T *Tg I WR-
glRgiggR clRqRsgggg: ggRr wtwort RRgR^gggg: ggRRRci
g RsgggiRgggRt gRt gRg 1 1 HI I

g gr gwcgr gRR ggigTgRqfcr: gRR wrt gm I cram gggRr

c\ c\

xT ggRR xTRJ: gR mf%r ^rR RgrfR gR Rt: gR

RRfg: gR qwr : 1 gR gg gi? rk: ggfRgr: 1 1 HI I

ft R cFTf ^TffT^R^RmWET I gRcPgfR: 'mjtR I

craf gg ggR fg gggRR*pTlR gmjt ffRg I
^ f 5fiw? RWr g gRggrRfcr II HU

ft R cFR^ Hqf^RnRRm^N | gtcr^R: q^rmRcf I
gTgRwraTfRrr 1 gRtRssR 2 Rg: srRmgf I

g- R- g^ g- tH^gFRgpR q^N^cbiR 4 giRR 1 1 HI I

ft R gmj gwfgggRRRRmggr^ I gtcr^ft: q^gwtrgg I
3 ggR Rgr : 1 gq^R 2 g^ra: I
3 T: g 3 q# Rgg 3 ^ 3 m gifRifcR 1 1
g gr art 3 m: gRy gR gRig: I ^Rr [RggRT^gg I RRr
fRqgrg^crg 1 1 H 1 1

ft R ggg - g^gfrargRtrsfRmqgTg I gtcrgfR: qmiRgcr I

72

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

2.5.19

radiant and immortal person residing in the space within the heart — they are both
one’s self. It is the immortal; it is brahman ; it is the Whole.

1 1 This Law ( dhamia ) is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of
this Law. The radiant and immortal person in the Law and, in the case of the body,
the radiant and immortal person devoted to the Law — they are both one’s self. It is
the immortal; it is brahman ; it is the Whole.

12 This Truth is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this
Truth. The radiant and immortal person in Truth and, in the case of the body, the
radiant and immortal person devoted to Truth — they are both one’s self. It is the
immortal; it is brahman; it is the Whole.

13 This humanity is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of this
humanity. The radiant and immortal person in humanity and, in the case of the
body, the radiant and immortal person existing as a human — they are both one’s
self. It is the immortal; it is brahman ; it is the Whole.

l 4 This self ( atman ) is the honey of all beings, and all beings are the honey of
this self. The radiant and immortal person in the self and the radiant and immortal
person connected with the body (atman) — they are both one’s self. It is the immor-
tal; it is brahman; it is the Whole.

15 This very self (atman) is the lord and king of all beings. As all the spokes are
fastened to the hub and the rim of a wheel, so to one’s self (atman) are fastened all
beings, all the gods, all the worlds, all the breaths, and all these bodies (atman).

16 This is the same honey as Dadhyanc Atharvana communicated to the Asvins.
Seeing this, the seer declared:

As thunder discloses the rain, O Heroes,

I disclose that wonderful skill you displayed for gain;

When Dadhyanc Atharvana revealed the honey,

Through the horse’s head to you.

17 This is the same honey as Dadhyanc Atharvana communicated to the Asvins.
Seeing this, a seer declared:

You fixed a horse’s head, O Asvins,

On Dadhyanc Atharvana;

True to his word, O mighty ones,

He revealed to you Tvastr’s honey,

That remains a secret with you.

18 This is the same honey as Dadhyanc Atharvana communicated to the Asvins.
Seeing this, a seer declared:

He made a fort with two feet;

He made a fort with four feet.

He became a bird and entered the fort;

The Person has entered the fort.

This very Person (purusa) is the fort-dweller (purisaya ) in all the forts. There is
nothing that is not sheltered by him; there is nothing that is not secured by him.

19 This is the same honey as Dadhyanc Atharvana communicated to the Asvins.
Seeing this, a seer declared:

73

FWgf I =W: 1131 1
II ffcT W

II ^frT flrfNfbsarnT: II

I cFT f t^^Ljo-xJleiHr

: | ctw f sRcbw f^nrrar

c\

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3 . 1.1

Of every form of every being,
the likeness he has assumed;
every form seeks to reveal him.

His steeds are yoked, all ten hundred;

Indra by his wizardry travels in many forms.

He alone is the steeds; he is the ten thousand, the many, the innumerable. This
brahman is without a before and an after, without an inner and an outer. Brahman is
this self ( atman ) here which perceives everything. That is the teaching.

6 Now the lineage;

Pautimasya from Gaupavana; Gaupavana from Pautimasya; Pautimasya
from Gaupavana; Gaupavana from Kausika; Kausika from Kaundinya; Kaundinya
from Sandilya; Sandilya from Kausika and Gautama; Gautama 2 from Agnivesya;
Agnivesya from Sandilya and Anabhimlata; Anabhimlata from Anabhimlata;
Anabhimlata from Anabhimlata; Anabhimlata from Gautama; Gautama from Sai-
tava and Praclnayogya; Saitava and Praclnayogya from Parasarya; Parasarya from
Bharadvaja; Bharadvaja from Bharadvaja and Gautama; Gautama from Bharadvaja;
Bharadvaja from Parasarya; Parasarya from Vaijavapayana; Vaijavapayana from
Kausikayani; Kausikayani 3 from Ghrtakausika; Ghrtakausika from Parasaryayana;
Parasaryayana from Parasarya; Parasarya from Jatukarnya; Jatukarnya from
Asurayana and Yaska; Asurayana from Traivani; Traivani from Aupajandhani; Au-
pajandhani from Asuri; Asuri from Bharadvaja; Bharadvaja from Atreya; Atreya
from Manti; Manti from Gautama; Gautama from Gautama; Gautama from Vatsya;
Vatsya from Sandilya; Sandilya from Kaisorya Kapya; Kaisorya Kapya from
Kumaraharita; Kumaraharita from Galava; Galava from Vidarbhikaundinya; Vi-
darbhlkaundinya from Vatsanapad Babhrava; Vatsanapad Babhrava from Panthah
Saubhara; Panthah Saubhara from Ayasya Angirasa; Ayasya Angirasa from Abhuti
Tvastra; Abhuti Tvastra from Visvarupa Tvastra; Visvarupa Tvastra from the two
Asvins; the two Asvins from Dadhyanc Atharvana; Dadhyanc Atharvana from
Atharvan Daiva; Atharvan Daiva from Mrtyu Pradhvamsana; Mrtyu Pradhvamsana
from Pradhvamsana; Pradhvamsana from Eka Rsi; Eka Rsi from Vipracitti;
Vipracitti from Vyasti; Vyasti from Sanaru; Sanaru from Sanatana; Sanatana from
Sanaga; Sanaga from Paramesthin; and Paramesthin from Brahman. Brahman is
self-existent. Homage to Brahman!

ADHYAYA 3

I Janaka, the king of Videha, once set out to perform a sacrifice at which he in-
tended to give lavish gifts to the officiating priests. Brahmins from the Kuru
and Pancala regions had flocked there for the occasion, and Janaka of Videha
wanted to find out which of those Brahmins was the most learned in the Vedas.

75

3 . 1.1

The Early Upanisads

sll^uiHm^TjHePT ffcT I *T f W epT^ftET I w q % ^F TT :

W: 1 1 ? 1 1 I ¥TFFH W tfT tr sfr sf%P^: Tf xt^j

JIT ^Wcflftlrf I t W ^WIT =T ^Pf : I 3^r f sfFT-

■-Enftar^cfTxr I i^err: #Rfr^r furore I ctt I t f sn^r-

W =rr ^%r^r ftltfcr I aw f Mww ftcnwr w^w \
?r ft I t ^ sf%pals*fr3 ^fcr I f fiTpsr I Rtf

3t 3%W ^jtf twiT tfF eft Ff ?ft I t F CRT Ref ffj Ft ftcTT-

J 6[er: lull

w^r^fci Fiqrrfr I Rftt et ^rgRit Ft tr wRitf

^t^Tf^rfcr^Tcr ftr ! iftHi mwr I Rpt ftrr I cftt

RlehtiRRfif: F ftFT FT 2%: FrftFftf: I U 1 1

WFTFtfcT FTFTF I Fftt FtFffFFlWFTF FtFFfTTFTRTFftFF ^T

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3 . 1.7

So he corralled a thousand cows; to the horns of each cow were tied ten pieces of
gold.

2 He then addressed those Brahmins: “Distinguished Brahmins! Let the most
learned man among you drive away these cows.” But those Brahmins did not dare.
So Yajnavalkya called to his pupil: “Samasravas! Son, drive these cows away.” And
he drove them away. The Brahmins were furious and murmured: “How dare he
claim to be the most learned?”

Now, Janaka of Videha had a Hotr priest named Asvala. He asked: “Yajna-
valkya, do you really think you are the most learned among us?” Yajnavalkya re-
plied: “We bow humbly to the most learned man! But we are really after the cows,
aren’t we?” At this the Hotr Asvala became determined to question him.

3 “Yajnavalkya,” he said, “tell me — when this whole world is caught in the grip
of death, when it is overwhelmed by death, how can the patron of a sacrifice free
himself completely from its grip?” Yajnavalkya replied: “By means of the Hotr
priest — that is, by means of the fire, by means of speech. Clearly, the Hotr priest of
the sacrifice is speech. So this speech — it is this fire here; it is the Hotr priest; it is
freedom; and it is complete freedom.”

4 “Yajnavalkya,” Asvala said again, “tell me — when this whole world is caught
in the grip of days and nights, when it is overwhelmed by days and nights, how can
the patron of a sacrifice free himself completely from their grip?” Yajnavalkya re-
plied: “By means of the Adhvaryu priest — that is, by means of sight, by means of
the sun. Clearly, the Adhvaryu priest of the sacrifice is sight. So this sight — it is that
sun up there; it is the Adhvaryu priest; it is freedom; and it is complete freedom.”

5 “Yajnavalkya,” Asvala said again, “tell me — when this whole world is caught
in the grip of the fortnights of the waxing and the waning moon, when it is over-
whelmed by the fortnights of the waxing and the waning moon, how can the patron
of a sacrifice free himself from their grip?” Yajnavalkya replied: “By means of the
Udgatr priest — that is, by means of the wind, by means of breath. Clearly, the
Udgatr priest of the sacrifice is breath. So this breath — it is the wind; it is the Udgatr
priest; it is freedom; it is complete freedom.”

6 “Yajnavalkya,” Asvala said again, “tell me — when this intermediate region
provides no support of any kind, how does the patron of a sacrifice climb up to
heaven?” Yajnavalkya replied: “By means of the Brahman priest — that is, by means
of the mind, by means of the moon. Clearly, the Brahman priest of the sacrifice is
the mind. So this mind — it is that moon up there; it is the Brahman priest; it is free-
dom; it is complete freedom.”

These are the types of complete freedom. Next, the equivalents.

7 “Yajnavalkya,” Asvala said again, “tell me — today at the sacrifice, how many
verses will the Hotr priest here use?”

“Three.”

“What are they?”

“The verse recited before the offering and the verse that accompanies the of-
fering. The third is the verse of praise.”

“What does he win through them?”

“Whatever supports life in this world.”

77

Brhaclaranyaka Upanisad

3 . 2.5

8 “Yajnavalkya,” Asvala said again, “tell me — today at the sacrifice, how many
oblations will the Adhvaryu priest here offer in the fire?”

“Three.”

“What are they?”

“The oblations that flare up when they are offered; those that overflow when
they are offered; and the ones that lie down when they are offered.”

“What does he win through them?”

“What he wins by offering the oblations that flare up is the world of gods, for,
in a way, that world shines. What he wins by offering the oblations that overflow
(, ati-nedante ) is the world of ancestors, for, in a way, that world is over above ( ati ).
And what he wins by offering the oblations that lie down ( adhi-serate ) is the world
of men, for, in a way, that world is here below ( adha ).

9 “Yajnavalkya,” Asvala said again, “tell me— with how many deities will the
Brahman priest, seated on the southern side, protect the sacrifice today?” Yajna-
valkya replied: “With one.”

“Who is it?”

“The mind itself, for the mind is without limit and the All-gods are without
limit. Limitless also is the world he wins by it.”

10 “Yajnavalkya,” Asvala said again, “tell me — today at the sacrifice,how many
hymns of praise will the Udgatr priest here sing?” Yajnavalkya replied: “Three.”

“What are they?”

“The hymn recited before the sacrifice and the hymn that accompanies the sac-
rifice. The hymn of praise is the third.”

“What are they with respect to the body ( atman )?”

“The hymn recited before the sacrifice is just the out-breath; the hymn that ac-
companies the sacrifice is the in-breath; and the hymn of praise is the inter-breath.”

“What does he win through them?”

“He wins the earthly world through the hymn recited before the sacrifice, the
intermediate world through the hymn that accompanies the sacrifice, and the heav-
enly world through the hymn of praise.”

Thereupon, Hotr Asvala fell silent.

2 Then Jaratkarava Artabhaga began to question him. “Yajnavalkya,” he said,
“tell me — how many graspers are there and how many overgraspers?”
Yajnavalkya replied: “There are eight graspers and eight overgraspers.”

“What are the eight graspers? And what are the eight overgraspers?”

2 “The out-breath is a grasper, which is itself grasped by the in-breath, the over-
grasper; for one smells odors by means of the in-breath.

3 “Speech is a grasper, which is itself grasped by word, the overgrasper; for one
utters words by means of speech.

4 “The tongue is a grasper, which is itself grasped by flavor, the overgrasper;
for one tastes flavors by means of the tongue.

5 “Sight is a grasper, which is itself grasped by visible appearances, the over-
grasper; for one sees visible appearances by means of sight.

79

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3 . 3.2

6 “Hearing is a grasper, which is itself grasped by sound, the overgrasper; for
one hears sounds by means of hearing.

7 “The mind is a grasper, which is itself grasped by desire, the overgrasper; for
one entertains desires by means of the mind.

8 “The hands are graspers, which are themselves grasped by action, the over-
grasper; for one performs actions by means of the hands.

9 “The skin is a grasper, which is itself grasped by touch, the overgrasper; for
one senses various types of touch by means of the skin.

“These, then, are the eight graspers and the eight overgraspers.”

10 “Yajnavalkya,” Artabhaga said again, “tell me — since this whole world is
food for Death, of which deity is Death the food?” Yajnavalkya replied: “Death is
fire, and it is the food of water. [Whoever knows this] averts repeated death.”

11 “Yajnavalkya,” Artabhaga said again, “tell me — when a man dies, do his
breaths depart from him, or do they not?” “They do not,” replied Yajnavalkya.
“They accumulate within this very body, causing it to swell up and to become
bloated. So a dead man lies bloated.”

12 “Yajnavalkya,” Artabhaga said again, “tell me — when a man dies, what is it
that does not leave him?” “His name,” replied Yajnavalkya. “A name is without
limit, and the All-gods are without limit. Limitless also is the world he wins by it.”

13 “Yajnavalkya,” Artabhaga said again, “tell me — when a man has died, and
his speech disappears into fire, his breath into the wind, his sight into the sun, his
mind into the moon, his hearing into the quarters, his physical body into the earth,
his self ( atman ) into space, the hair of his body into plants, the hair of his head into
trees, and his blood and semen into water — what then happens to that person?”
Yajnavalkya replied: “My friend, we cannot talk about this in public. Take my
hand, Artabhaga; let’s go and discuss this in private.”

So they left and talked about it. And what did they talk about? — they talked
about nothing but action. And what did they praise? — they praised nothing but ac-
tion. Yajnavalkya told him: “A man turns into something good by good action and
into something bad by bad action.”

Thereupon, Jaratkarava Artabhaga fell silent.

3 Then Bhujyu Lahyayani began to question him. “Yajnavalkya,” he said, “once,
while we were itinerant students travelling around in the land of the Madras,
we visited the home of Patancala Kapya. He had a daughter possessed by a Gan-
dharva. We asked him who he was, and the Gandharva said that he was Sudhanvan
Angirasa. In the course of asking him about the ends of the worlds, we inquired:
‘Where in the world are the Pariksitas?’ I put the same question to you, Yajna-
valkya — where are the Pariksitas?”

2 Yajnavalkya replied: “He no doubt told you, ‘They have gone to the place
where those who offer horse sacrifices go.’”

“But where do those who offer horse sacrifices go?”

“‘The visible world is as wide as the distance the sun’s chariot travels in thirty-
two days. The earth is twice as wide as the visible world and surrounds it on all
sides, while the ocean is twice as wide as the earth and surrounds it on all sides.

81

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.5.1

Now, there is a gap as fine as a razor’s edge or a gnat’s wing. Taking the form of a
bird, Indra handed the Pariksitas to the wind. The wind placed them within itself
and carried them to the place where those who had offered horse sacrifices were.’- —
What that Gandharva praised in that manner was clearly the wind. Both individual
things and the totality of all things, therefore, are just the wind. Whosoever knows
this averts repeated death.”

Thereupon, Bhujyu Lahyayani fell silent.

4 Then Usasta Cakrayana began to question him. “Yajnavalkya,” he said,
“explain to me the brahman that is plain and not cryptic, the self ( atman ) that is
within all.”

“The self within all is this self of yours.”

“Which one is the self within all, Yajnavalkya?”

“Who breathes out with the out-breath — he is the self of yours that is within all.
Who breathes in with the in-breath — he is the self of yours that is within all. Who
breathes across with the inter-breath — he is the self of yours that is within all. Who
breathes up with the up-breath — he is the self of yours that is within all. The self
within all is this self of yours.”

2 Usasta Cakrayana retorted: “That’s a fine explanation! It’s like saying ‘This is
a cow and that is a horse!’ Come on, give me a real explanation of the brahman that
is plain and not cryptic, of the self that is within all.”

“The self within all is this self of yours.”

“Which one is the self within all, Yajnavalkya?”

“You can’t see the seer who does the seeing; you can’t hear the hearer who
does the hearing; you can’t think of the thinker who does the thinking; and you
can’t perceive the perceiver who does the perceiving. The self within all is this self
of yours. All else besides this is grief!”

Thereupon, Usasta Cakrayana fell silent.

5 Then Kahola Kausltakeya began to question him. “Yajnavalkya,” he said, “ex-
plain to me the brahman that is plain and not cryptic, the self that is within all.”
“The self within all is this self of yours.”

“Which one is the self within all, Yajnavalkya?”

“He is the one who is beyond hunger and thirst, sorrow and delusion, old age
and death. It is when they come to know this self that Brahmins give up the desire
for sons, the desire for wealth, and the desire for worlds, and undertake the mendi-
cant life. The desire for sons, after all, is the same as the desire for wealth, and the
desire for wealth is the same as the desire for worlds — both are simply desires.
Therefore, a Brahmin should stop being a pandit and try to live like a child. When
he has stopped living like a child or a pandit, he becomes a sage. And when he has
stopped living like a sage or the way he was before he became a sage, he becomes a
Brahmin. He remains just such a Brahmin, no matter how he may live. All besides
this is grief.”

Thereupon, Kahola Kausltakeya fell silent.

83

3 . 6.1

The Early Upanisads

3T2T "td - J|l J fT 31x^41 I dTfTdod^fcT $ldN I df<^4 6l4 J H l ^<4ld xT
4tj xr diftdd r#r‘ ■aflcrna - sfrai^fti I drat dFfffcr I
dttdf EiTg'dcrar sfr^fcr" I ^ra%'65i4^ Jipfffri l

^C^'f^c5tw 4 3ffcrrw ^RTTS&fcr 1 3F?j4e5%J 5 ddfffrT I
d#df dRd ddjifl4tdd dtcW dtcn^fcT I 3TTf^Tc5l%f ^TPfffcT I

diftdf ?3e^rf^rc5lw 8 dlcma- gtcn^r I d<rfl4^ dFfffcT I
3#Rf d^cJtW afTcTTST RlcTR&fcT I R^doil^'T RPfficT I
w^ 9 d^deitdr dtcd^ arcrp^fcr I 4deil4ra; ddfffcT I
35%i?j ?ddf ^c5tw afTcrra - dtcTT^fcr I xrprfffcT I

3#Rf ?dfe^c5m' n 3fr?W dtrn^fcr I RdlHfaril^'J dTJfffcT I
dftdf W$ aWTfrTcJtW dfcTT^icf I ^R5% dPfffcT I
d#Rf ^ w^TcJtw aftcrra" gTcTT^fcT I

*r ftcrrd d#r drftrai^fh l dr cT dsfr rawr 12 I 3Frfcraw t - ^ram-
fcT^EIJ^r 13 I dTpf RlfcIMUjflftfcr I dTdt f ddff 1 1 ? 1 1

II ^ sfl^uitf' II

3PT tdd^Tc^ ^rraftr: I dlddd^fcT ftdTd - I dt^WPT

RTrad'didd' WdFT dWdtftdldT: I dHU^fUldt d^J^cTI I dd^-^rd

d^SdfrfcT I dts^4tddW STPdt’d ^fcT I dtssl 41 cdcfo^ ddW dlfddlV

4?d d" cd ddra - cfc^d 4dTd d c5tdd RdST c5t=fd ddlRr d ddlR
d^iPl dddftfcT I ^dttdTcTaradT: dddt dTf cT^W%^fcf I

dfrs5(41cHci>x(rt dddr dild^T^sr 4w j dd ddd ci - h - xi u l d d
cyfdt RT d c5t# ddffoT d 4fcilPl dtSdTdf dddcFlRf I dtsa41dldo-x(<?i:
cbM'l dTf" ct ddd^lcf I ^dthdcddct ddd dlfddtsj' dt 4" dcdM
gd f4'?mj dTdTdfftrdftrfcT 4 d sT$jl4di rtldf4dH 4dI4oH ^Idcd ddf4o9
3TTddf4cd <rl4[4d I $lrl tdt §| 41 d I

84

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.7.1

6 Then GargT Vacaknavl began to question him. “Yajnavalkya,” she said, “tell
me — since this whole world is woven back and forth on water, on what, then,
is water woven back and forth?”

“On air, Gargl.”

“On what, then, is air woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of the intermediate region, Gargl.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of the intermediate region woven back and
forth?”

“On the worlds of the Gandharvas, Gargl.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of the Gandharvas woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of the sun, Gargl.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of the sun woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of the moon, GargT.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of the moon woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of the stars, GargT.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of the stars woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of the gods, Gargl.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of the gods woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of Indra, GargT.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of Indra woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of Prajapati, GargT.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of Prajapati woven back and forth?”

“On the worlds of brahman, GargT.”

“On what, then, are the worlds of brahman woven back and forth?”

At this point Yajnavalkya told her: “Don’t ask too many questions, GargT, or
your head will shatter apart! You are asking too many questions about a deity about
whom one should not ask too many questions. So, GargT, don’t ask too many ques-
tions!”

Thereupon, GargT Vacaknavl fell silent.

7 Then Uddalaka Aruni began to question him. “Yajnavalkya,” he said, “once we
were living in the land of the Madras learning about the sacrifice in the house
of Patancala Kapya. He had a wife possessed by a Gandharva. We asked him who
he was, and the Gandharva said that he was Kabandha Atharvana. He then asked
Patancala Kapya and the students there who were learning about the sacrifice: ‘Tell
me, Kapya — do you know the string on which this world and the next, as well as all
beings, are strung together?’ ‘That, my lord, I do not know,’ replied Patancala
Kapya. He then asked Patancala Kapya and the students there who were learning
about the sacrifice: ‘Tell me, Kapya — do you know the inner controller of this
world and the next, as well as of all beings, who controls them from within?’ ‘That,
my lord, I do not know,’ replied Patancala Kapya. He then told Patancala Kapya
and the students there who were learning about the sacrifice: ‘Clearly, Kapya, if a
man knows what that string is and who that inner controller is — he knows brahman',
he knows the worlds; he knows the gods; he knows the Vedas; he knows the spirits;
he knows the self; he knows all.’ That’s what he told them.

85

3 . 7.1

The Early Upanisads

cK$ tq I qTqqcqq qiqTqffipq qfPT#qqqqT RElt

cT [^TfcnsTcftfcf I

tq 3T m 3 ftrf T T ctqgq t i W^Plui^lcr I

qt 3T ?q fpcn^r ^fcT 3RTT §Tc*r cRTT frftfcT ll?ll

R ftW I RTgf jffcRT cTf^TRT 1 qT§qr t qfqq g%TTq q qtqr:

C R^T eilcb: R^ff^T q iPl qq^snfM qqpq I cTWllT RtcHT ^qq
&cnnf4^ R^Td TFTTfFftfcT I W % jftcRT R^WffR qqqftfcl I
qR^tcRTTfrawr I qqrqfRpq f^r IRII
q; <jf^qf fci^^di qqifr q gM - q i|q qqr srflt q:

Wt%‘ rT ^nWRwN^cT: 1 1 3 1 1

RtSRJ lei S5R^frSR[ tt WRT q f^foTR: 5T0T RtSTTSRRt ^'R-idq cT
3{lcHld4d^d: I I'M |

5TTS#T fcP^RRRT awIM 3q 5TRT[%: qftt qqf^rqqRt q^Aldlq 1 cT
3nRfRTq?«JJJcl: IIM I

AfTSRT^ 1 fciWRrf^n^RRT ARTRff^T q 3q ATFTlRTf^ 5lftt
ARSdPMdd'!! WTrAfR cT qiqq^tw'Jjq: ||^M

qf qpft rrl^d"i4i<'r,R q qm^- 3q q?q snj: 5lftt qf

qqq?W cT 3ncRIRTqtRT^cT: MM I

qf fcRSf^qtSRRt q €\$ tq RRT iff: ST^t qT f^WdTT
qqqqlq q ^TRqTRTqW^cf: MM I

q- qrf^ fcIWlRqiKd'O ddiRcdl T %q qdllRcd: ST^tt q

anf^nTRRT qqqdfq 1 cT 3R?qRiqtiqTJcr: I K 1 1

qr 1 f^r fcT^^qqRqrfr q fefr q %4qq f^r: qfMr qr %fRqRf
qqqdlq 2 q sncqRRfrq^: 1 1 ? ° 1 1

qqidclldfc fcT^^qciRqqqqRt q qqRTRq^ q %q qqq R^dldb
qftt q^j d.di A crdd-' qqqR%r q sqqFRRfqqJjq: M ? ? M

q 1 qrqqjT frTWiqqqrqqtfr ddlcblM q ^q qqqrqqq: 5lft t q
qiqqqqqrct qqqqrq q qTqTrqwnqgq:" M ? ^ 1 1

qqnrf^r 1 fcRqqrqq^qRT q qqr q ^q qqr qq: qftt qqrqRqRt
qqqrqq 2 q ^irdldq'fd^q: ii^M

86

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.7.13

“And I know it. So, if you drive away the cows meant for the Brahmins,
Yajnavalkya, without knowing what that string is and who that inner controller is,
your head will shatter apart!”

“Gautama, I do know what that string is and who that inner controller is.”

“Of course, anyone can say, ‘I know! I know!’ Tell us what precisely you
know.”

2 Yajnavalkya told him: “Clearly, Gautama, that string is the wind. It is on the
string of wind, Gautama, that this world and the next, as well as all beings, are
strung together. That is why people say of a dead man, ‘His bodily parts have come
unstrung,’ for they are strung together, Gautama, on the string of wind.”

“Quite right, Yajnavalkya. Now tell us who the inner controller is.”

3 “This self ( dtman ) of yours who is present within but is different from the
earth, whom the earth does not know, whose body is the earth, and who controls the
earth from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

4 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the waters,
whom the waters do not know, whose body is the waters, and who controls the wa-
ters from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

5 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the fire, whom
the fire does not know, whose body is the fire, and who controls the fire from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

6 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the intermediate
region, whom the intermediate region does not know, whose body is the intermedi-
ate region, and who controls the intermediate region from within — he is the inner
controller, the immortal.

7 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the wind, whom
the wind does not know, whose body is the wind, and who controls the wind from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

8 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the sky, whom
the sky does not know, whose body is the sky, and who controls the sky from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

9 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the sun, whom
the sun does not know, whose body is the sun, and who controls the sun from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

10 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the quarters,
whom the quarters do not know, whose body is the quarters, and who controls the
quarters from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

11 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the moon and
the stars, whom the moon and the stars do not know, whose body is the moon and
the stars, and who controls the moon and the stars from within — he is the inner
controller, the immortal.

12 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from space, whom
space does not know, whose body is space, and who controls space from within — he
is the inner controller, the immortal.

12 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from darkness,

87

3 . 7.13

The Early Upanisads

qRRR fR^RRsqfR q Rft q tq JW Rf: Rtt qRtRsqRf
qqqRq c T -31 1 I'-ttI'MT J^ cl : I i fqifRRqq l Rxi |

qqTRqqq I q: Rq Rrq Ri^wRRr iqRqtsqRT f qqiR

C\ ^ O C\ o c\ c\

•T SlRR R1 I Pi RR q: ddlR F^FtRI d'Hdcdl rf

sn^TRRRpjcf: II ^qiRgqq 2 1 1 ?Hl I

qqTWdqq I q: qR R^qfMTqqRt q SfRf q 4q qqq S 1 W: 5r0 T q:
^TWcRt WfcRf q 3TT?qpqqtR^cf: 1 1 ^ \ \

qt qrR fRs^rqtsqnit q qrq q Rr w qiqRtt qt qrqwR
qqqRq 1 q snw^qRrqrcr: ll?q||

q^R fRRq^qRt q qgR ^ w : RR qiqjgqqR
qqqcW q SUrdl^qTjq^d: ll?<ill

q: RR fRs^jRnqqRt q RR q 4q qqr R# 5lfR q: Rqq-dtt

3T3T^j-Rrq- 1 q 3| |"dH l'*d ql^q^'d : HUH

qt qqftr R^qqqfsqrcr q qqt q R qqr w srflt qf qqtsqRr
wRf 1 cT STTrqFcTqtrq^cr: I Roll

qqqR R^qRsqrtr t t ^ kw qqfsrOi qwqqqrcr

qqqcW cf qiqqqqqRq^: 2 |R?||

qt 1 RRr R^RwqqqRt q RfrR q Rr w Rittt sRt qt

RdHdTRl qqqRq cf 3TTWFqqtfq^cr: I IRR 1 1

qt RtR fcl^RddlsqRt q tcft q 4q qqq Rf: Sfftt qt RffsqRT
qqqRq 1 q qqqRTqRq^: 2 1 1

3ffRt i^wgq: Rqrqqf q^iRqrqt Rnw I qiRtsRRr
qRRdtsRf 3 Rtf qrRfsqtsRf qqrr qqqtsqfsRf Rdidi I qq q
qrqrRfqRrqq: I qqts^qqRq I qqt Rqiqq: aqqRqqqqq IRRI

II fR qw qwrq II

afq f qfqqqgqpq I qqqwr qqqqfr qqiigRq ft srat q^qiR I qt
RR qqqR 2 q t qqf qWfqRR RRq siRR ^Rcf 3 I qqfffcT I R 1 1

88

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.8.1

whom darkness does not know, whose body is darkness, and who controls darkness
from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

1 4 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from light, whom
light does not know, whose body is light, and who controls light from within — he is
the inner controller, the immortal.”

That was with respect to the divine sphere. 15 What follows is with respect to
beings.

“This self of yours who is present within but is different from all beings, whom
all beings do not know, whose body is all beings, and who controls all beings from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.”

That was with respect to beings. 16 What follows is with respect to the body
(at man).

“This self of yours who is present within but is different from the breath, whom
the breath does not know, whose body is the breath, and who controls the breath
from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

17 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from speech, whom
speech does not know, whose body is speech, and who controls speech from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

18 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from sight, whom
sight does not know, whose body is sight, and who controls sight from within — he
is the inner controller, the immortal.

19 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from hearing, whom
hearing does not know, whose body is hearing, and who controls hearing from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

20 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the mind,
whom the mind does not know, whose body is the mind, and who controls the mind
from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

21 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the skin, whom
the skin does not know, whose body is the skin, and who controls the skin from
within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

22 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from perception,
whom perception does not know, whose body is perception, and who controls per-
ception from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

23 “This self of yours who is present within but is different from the semen,
whom the semen does not know, whose body is the semen, and who controls the
semen from within — he is the inner controller, the immortal.

“He sees, but he can’t be seen; he hears, but he can’t be heard; he thinks, but he
can’t be thought of; he perceives, but he can’t be perceived. Besides him, there is no
one who sees, no one who hears, no one who thinks, and no one who perceives. It is
this self of yours who is the inner controller, the immortal. All besides this is grief.”

Thereupon, Uddalaka Aruni fell silent.

8 Then (GargI) Vacaknavi spoke. “Distinguished Brahmins!” she said. “I am go-
ing to ask this man two questions. If he can give me the answers to them, none
of you will be able to defeat him in a theological debate.”

89

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.8.11

“Ask, Gargl.”

2 She said: “I rise to challenge you, Yajnavalkya, with two questions, much as a
fierce warrior of Kasi or Videha, stringing his unstrung bow and taking two deadly
arrows in his hand, would rise to challenge a rival. Give me the answers to them!”

“Ask, Gargl.”

3 She said: “The things above the sky, the things below the earth, and the things
between the earth and the sky, as well as all those things people here refer to as past,
present, and future — on what, Yajnavalkya, are all these woven back and forth?”

4 He replied: “The things above the sky, the things below the earth, and the
things between the earth and the sky, as well as all those things people here refer to
as past, present, and future — on space, Gargl, are all these woven back and forth.”

5 She responded: “All honor to you, Yajnavalkya. You really cleared that up for
me! Get ready for the second.”

“Ask, Gargl.”

6 She said: “The things above the sky, the things below the earth, and the things
between the earth and the sky, as well as all those things people here refer to as past,
present, and future — on what, Yajnavalkya, are all these woven back and forth?”

7 He replied: “The things above the sky, the things below the earth, and the
things between the earth and the sky, as well as all those things people here refer to
as past, present, and future — on space, Gargl, are all these woven back and forth.”

“On what, then, is space woven back and forth?”

8 He replied: “That, Gargl, is the imperishable, and Brahmins refer to it like
this — it is neither coarse nor fine; it is neither short nor long; it has neither blood
nor fat; it is without shadow or darkness; it is without air or space; it is without
contact; it has no taste or smell; it is without sight or hearing; it is without speech or
mind; it is without energy, breath, or mouth; it is beyond measure; it has nothing
within it or outside of it; it does not eat anything; and no one eats it.

9 “This is the imperishable, Gargl, at whose command the sun and the moon
stand apart. This is the imperishable, Gargl, at whose command the earth and the
sky stand apart. This is the imperishable, Gargl, at whose command seconds and
hours, days and nights, fortnights and months, seasons and years stand apart. This is
the imperishable, Gargl, at whose command rivers flow from the snowy mountains
in their respective directions, some to the east and others to the west. This is the
imperishable, Gargl, at whose command people flatter donors, and gods are de-
pendent on patrons of sacrifices, and forefathers on ancestral offerings.

10 “Without knowing this imperishable, Gargl, even if a man were to make of-
ferings, to offer sacrifices, and to perform austerities in this world for many
thousands of years, all that would come to naught. Pitiful is the man, Gargl, who
departs from this world without knowing this imperishable. But a man who departs
from this world after he has come to know this imperishable — he, Gargl, is a Brah-
min.

11 “This is the imperishable, Gargl, which sees but can’t be seen; which hears
but can’t be heard; which thinks but can’t be thought of; which perceives but can’t
be perceived. Besides this imperishable, there is no one that sees, no one that hears,
no one that thinks, and no one that perceives.

91

3 . 8.11

The Early Upanisads

ft fterrcr I RRRRRRfRRT I

T t" STTcir ^iR|cbfin cf5%^ ^tfcf I cfcfT W WlfTOn 1 1 HI I

1 1 ffcT 3TRRT sH^FTR II

3T^r ft f^ET: 5TFF5RT: qgx®- I ^fcT ^TT I ?T

f^rf^r qfci^ ^TcRfr I it xr 5 rt Rm #■ xr

ei^rfcf I

aftfticr l strrt ^t w^^fcr I ^fc&rRfcr I
sfrftfci ft^w I 3=n qi^Re^rfcT I wf^fcr I

aftf^rfcr fmw I qR^r ^rr w^^trr I rt tfft I

sfrfirfcr #rar^r I R?^r WR^fcr I gjMcr I
aftf^rf^r ftRRr I rrr im R^Rf€|% I w&rfr ?fcT I

aftftfcT I ^T RlffRc^f^r I l^ejr ^fcT I

sftf^rfcT fRlxT I cR# ct W it XT SRT # R Rf^fcT 1 1 ? 1 1
*r ^Txr I *fftRR q^i^tcT I Rsf^r^r ^rr ?fcr I
cFkRT ft ^RTi^lWcT I

rx rx -S* rx

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.9.6

“On this very imperishable, Gargi, space is woven back and forth.”

12 “Distinguished Brahmins!” said Gargi. “You should consider yourself lucky
if you escape from this man by merely paying him your respects. None of you will
ever defeat him in a theological debate.”

Thereupon, Vacaknavl fell silent.

9 Then Vidagdha Sakalya began to question him. “Tell me, Yajnavalkya — how
many gods are there?” Saying, “As many as are mentioned in the ritual invoca-
tion within the laud to the All-gods,” he answered in accordance with this very rit-
ual invocation: “Three and three hundred, and three and three thousand.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “but really, Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there?”
“Thirty-three.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “but really, Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there?”
“Six.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “but really, Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there?”
“Three.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “but really, Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there?”
“Two.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “but really, Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there?”
“One and a half.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “but really, Yajnavalkya, how many gods are there?”
“One.”

“Yes, of course,” he said, “but then who are those three and three hundred, and
those three and three thousand?”

2 “They are only the powers of the gods,” Yajnavalkya replied. “There are only
thirty-three gods.”

“Who are those thirty-three?”

“The eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, and the twelve Adityas — that makes
thirty-one. Then there are Indra and Prajapati, making a total of thirty-three.”

3 “Who are the Vasus?”

“The Vasus are fire, earth, wind, the intermediate region, sun, sky, moon, and
stars. They are called Vasus because this whole treasure ( vasu ) is entrusted to
them.”

4 “Who are the Rudras?”

“The ten vital functions (prana) in a man, with the self ( atman ) as the eleventh.
They make people weep when they depart from this mortal body. They are called
Rudras because they make people weep ( rud
5 “Who are the Adityas?”

“The Adityas are the twelve months of the year, for they carry off this whole
world as they proceed. They are called Adityas because they carry off ( adadanah )
this whole world as they proceed ( yanti ).”

6 “Who is Indra? And who is Prajapati?”

“Indra is just the thunder, and Prajapati is the sacrifice.”

“What is thunder?”

“The thunderbolt.”

93

3 . 9.6

The Early Upanisads

^Rt W ffcT I T5R ffcT IKII

wrt l gfttt xr w 1 i gt

frf 2 ^ wfUcr i iv9i i

WFT f oRt ^fcr | pr TT^- W c3tW: I ggr ftr gt ^TT ffcT I

wpfr cfr 1 #r ^nf^frr I art t^r writer I

wmteszjtf ffrT I tftt qw gft I k 1 1 gtcr qwr I w

wwr?f ftcr I ^rtwTT^^wrt gfcr I

WFT IT^r ffcT I SW fft" I FT I \% II

qwwnrf^fct^r 1 wf wrfttf t t gw ftinrot^ww:

TOW FT t tftcTT Rltirolo^ |

3Tt t gW ytwIW: TOW WTW I V g^TO w 3T: gW: FT
gq~: | STfcFW cW W ^ctfcT I srgdftfa 3 gfWT 1 1 ? ° 1 1

cfW gcf WTWcTT fW c^?T TOT attfrrat t ct gW ft?TRT
FrtCTTcW: TOW FT t tf^cTT fWITflWW I

tg gr art t gw FrtFWW: qgrw wrrw I g gw wrw: 3 gw:

FT gcr: | cf%- 5I1W^T cW W iq-qfcl i fFW 4 gfcr grw 1 1 ? ? 1 1

^qi^cj wnwrt gytfkb) wt wrfttf t t gw ftwFrtFww:
qqqwt ft t %ftcrr fwwww I

tg gr 3rt t gw rrtrww: qqiwr ww I g ggrawltct gw: ft
itch l sww ?w w ^wrfcr l TOrtrft" 1 frw 1 1 ? q II

arrcwr gg wfcR afrt 1 trrgt wt wrfttf 1 t gw f^nrotwr-
w qqiwf ft t ^ftt I

tg gr arf t gw F^wic-w: qqqwr wrw I g ggw afrg: gifcgg-
w: 2 gw: ft gg I g% wrwwr wg w tgfrft I fW gfcr trw 1 1 n 1 1

TOf qcT WWW ^W 2 otgt Wt Wlfttf t t gW ftw^WWT:
qqjwf ?j t tftcrr mww I

94

Brhadaranyaka JJpanisad

3 . 9.14

“What is the sacrifice?”

“The sacrificial animals.”

7 “Who are the six?”

“The six are fire and earth, wind and the intermediate region, sun and sky — for
these six are this whole world.”

8 “Who are the three gods?”

“Just these three worlds, for all the gods live in them.”

“Who are the two gods?”

“Food and breath.”

“Who are the one and a half?”

“The purifying wind that is blowing here. 9 Now, some may ask: ‘But the puri-
fying wind here blows as one only. So how can he be one and a half?’ He is one and
a half ( adhyardha ) because in him this whole world increases ( adliyardh -).”

“Who is the one god?”

“Breath. He is called ‘Brahman’ and ‘Tyad.’”

10 “The person whose abode is the earth, whose world is fire, and whose light is
the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every self ( atman ),
he would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than this bodily person. But tell me, Sakalya — who is his god?”

“The immortal,” Sakalya replied.

1 1 “The person whose abode is passion, whose world is the heart, and whose
light is the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every self, he
would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than this person immersed in passion. But tell me, Sakalya — who is his
god?”

“Women,” Sakalya replied.

12 “The person whose abode is visible appearances, whose world is sight, and
whose light is the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every
self, he would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than that person up there in the sun. But tell me, Sakalya — who is his
god?”

“Truth,” Sakalya replied.

13 “The person whose abode is space, whose world is hearing, and whose light
is the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every self, he
would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than this person connected with hearing and echo. But tell me, Sakalya
— who is his god?”

“The quarters,” Sakalya replied.

14 “The person whose abode is darkness, whose world is the heart, and whose
light is the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every self, he
would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

95

3 . 9.14

The Early Upanisads

FT 3TF F F^FTTFTT: M^|i|U| w I F tFFTFF:

F Q?T: I F% 5ITFFF FFT FF ^fcT I J^Rfcl fTFTF Ill's'll

FHI^W FFT1FFF F^iFi FFt ^TffcRt t - F .JFT fenF^FTTcFT:
qwf F t ^FT fttwffff I

R 3R F FFT FfFTTcFT: TOW FFRF I F IRTW^T FFF: F
tttt: | 5TTFFF FFT FF tFcTfcT I S^ftici FtFTF ll?Hll

3TTF ^ FEFIFFF |[FF c5fa>T FTT SFl'fcTF? t F FFF fenFT^WcFF:
WT F t" srf^FT FTTFlFFFfF I

^F FT FF F 9fFF F^FTTFR: FFFW FRTFT I F qFTFRg' ^FF: F
trcf: I FtF 5TTFFF FFT FF ^FftfcT I FFF ffcT ?tFTF 11?^ 1 1

% q^- FFTIFFF fFF cTtFSf FFt SFtfcRff ^ F JW fenFT^FRFF:
FFFF F t %f^cTT FTM1FFFFF I

tF FT 3TF F 3W F^FFFTF: 1 TIFF FFTFT I F FFTF FFFF: gW: F
■qrr: | FTFFF FFT FF ^FclfcT I aFTFirTf^fcT FTFTF 1 1 ?^l I

FFT FF

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.9.21

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than this person consisting of shadow. But tell me, Sakalya — who is his
god?”

“Death,” Sakalya replied.

15 “The person whose abode is visible appearances, whose world is sight, and
whose light is the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every
self, he would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than this person here in a mirror. But tell me, Sakalya — who is his god?”
“Life,” Sakalya replied.

16 “The person whose abode is the waters, whose world is the heart, and whose
light is the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every self, he
would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than this person here in the waters. But tell me, Sakalya — who is his
god?”

“Varuna,” Sakalya replied.

17 “The person whose abode is semen, whose world is the heart, and whose
light is the mind — should someone know that person, the final goal of every self, he
would be a man who truly knows, Yajnavalkya.”

“I know that person, the final goal of every self, of whom you speak. He is
none other than this person associated with a son. But tell me, Sakalya — who is his
god?”

“Prajapati,” Sakalya replied.

18 At this point Yajnavalkya exclaimed: “Poor Sakalya! I’m afraid these Brah-
mins have made you their cat’s-paw.”

19 Sakalya said: “Tell me, Yajnavalkya— what is the formulation of truth ( brah-
man ) you know that has enabled you here to outtalk these Brahmins of Kuru and
Pancala?”

“I know the quarters together with their gods and foundations.”

“Since you say that you know the quarters together with their gods and founda-
tions, 20 according to you, who is the god of the eastern quarter?”

“The sun.”

“And the sun, on what is it founded?”

“On sight.”

“On what is sight founded?”

“On visible appearances, for one sees visible appearances with one’s sight.”

“On what are visible appearances founded?”

“On the heart, for one recognizes visible appearances with the heart. So visible
appearances are founded on the heart.”

“You’re absolutely right, Yajnavalkya! 21 According to you, who is the god of
the southern quarter?”

“Yama.”

“And Yama, on what is he founded?”

“On the sacrifice.”

97

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.9.26

“On what is the sacrifice founded?”

“On the sacrificial gift.”

“On what is the sacrificial gift founded?”

“On faith, for a man gives a sacrificial gift only when he has faith. So the sacri-
ficial gift is founded on faith.”

“On what is faith founded?”

“On the heart, for one recognizes faith with the heart. So faith is founded on the
heart.”

“You’re absolutely right, Yajnavalkya! 22 According to you, who is the god of
the western quarter?”

“Varuna.”

“And Varuna, on what is he founded?”

“On water.”

“On what is water founded?”

“On semen.”

“On what is semen founded?”

“On the heart. For that very reason, when someone has a son who is a picture of
him, people say: ‘He’s dropped right out of his heart! He’s carved from his very
heart!’ So semen is founded on the heart.”

“You’re absolutely right, Yajnavalkya! 23 According to you, who is the god of
the northern quarter?”

“The moon.”

“And the moon, on what is it founded?”

“On the sacrificial consecration.”

“On what is the sacrificial consecration founded?”

“On truth. For that very reason, they instruct a man consecrated for sacrifice:
‘Speak the truth.’ So the sacrificial consecration is founded on truth.”

“On what is truth founded?”

“On the heart, for one recognizes truth with the heart. So truth is founded on
the heart.”

“You’re absolutely right, Yajnavalkya! 24 According to you, who is the god of
the zenith, the fixed quarter?”

“Fire.”

“And the fire, on what is it founded?”

“On speech.”

“On what is speech founded?”

“On the heart.”

“On what is the heart founded?”

25 At this Yajnavalkya exploded: “What an imbecile you are to think that it
could be founded anywhere other than ourselves! If it were anywhere other than
ourselves, dogs would eat it, or birds would tear it up.”

26 “On what are you and your self ( atman ) founded?”

“On the out-breath.”

“On what is the out-breath founded?”

“On the in-breath.”

99

3 . 9.26

The Early Upanisads

33%T*PTFT: atrTfecf ffcT I mPT ^fcT I
^Tf ^TFT: RfcffeT ^fcT I ^FT ffcT I
- af^ffecT |fcr I wm fftr I

Tf q^r ^irr tmrmr l 3qrr?fr =r ft ^rficT I arefcfr =t It sfNfcT I srcrrr
t ft drmfr I 3T%cfr *t sqmt 1 l t ft^qftr 2 I i^n^T^TwrF^ 3 ctw
3ret W ■smrr 3 mt: ! *r ^T^rrft^ir wc^icdsfddd 5 ct dffqftdt
’jrrft I rr t ft^mftr ^eff t ftqftwcftfcr I

# f d~ tt 5TTW5T: 6 I dm ^ dEI? RtWcT I srft ^TFT qft^qfs^-
mTdlgmTmmR-RT: 7 IR^II

3m- term sewn tr =r: ddwr d m I dt m dr

i jfr =r: dmmt d d ^rf*r dtmi d ^ddtlfcT 3 I t f di^mr

ll^ll

cil'trl: I

w dddrfcrdrtd ^wts^rr I
dm ctdrft mffft 1 mdmrddff*dd dft 1 1

dm trcTim dftt srmfcr dm ddm: I
cTWr^T^T^fcI ddt ^ilRdl^dld 1 1

rwrw dmrRr f^oH i"e dm dfcmrn I
ddffrnmdTT dmr -h Win -hi <£di 1 1

d2[ fPt- tt^fcT ■Htfl?Md<: dd: I

ddt: Rm^dgdT fW: chdd^tfldRttcT 1 1

tdd ^fcT dT dlmd 4kd<bddMldcr I

ii M idg f°r t ^Tt36^dR<nM d d : 1 1

100

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

3.9.28

“On what is the in-breath founded?”

“On the inter-breath.”

“On what is the inter-breath founded?”

“On the up-breath.”

“On what is the up-breath founded?”

“On the link-breath. About this self ( atman ), one can only say ‘not — , not — .’
He is ungraspable, for he cannot be grasped. He is undecaying, for he is not subject
to decay. He has nothing sticking to him, for he does not stick to anything. He is not
bound; yet he neither trembles in fear nor suffers injury. Now, those are the eight
abodes, the eight worlds, the eight gods, and the eight persons. I ask you about that
person providing the hidden connection ( upanisad ) — the one who carries off these
other persons, brings them back, and rises above them? If you will not tell me that,
your head will shatter apart."

Sakalya did not know him, and his head did, indeed, shatter apart. Robbers,
moreover, stole his bones, mistaking them for something else.

27 Yajnavalkya then addressed them: “Distinguished Brahmins! If any one of
you would like to question me, let him do so; or, if you prefer, you may question me
all together. Or else, if any one of you would like me to, I will question him; or, if
you prefer, I will question all of you together.” But those Brahmins did not dare.

28 So he questioned them with these verses:

Man is like a mighty tree —
that’s the truth.

His body hairs are its leaves,

His skin is its outer bark.

Blood flows from his skin.

As sap from the bark of a tree.

Blood flows when the skin is pricked,

As sap, when the bark is slit.

His flesh is the sapwood;

His sinews are the fibers —
that’s certain.

His bones are the heartwood;

And his marrow resembles the pith.

A tree when it’s cut down.

Grows anew from its root;

From what root does a mortal man grow,

When he is cut down by death?

Do not say, “From the seed”;

For it’s produced from him
while he is still alive;

And like a tree

sprouting from a seed.

It takes birth at once,
even before he dies.

101

3.9.28

The Early Upanisacls

^TRc5Tn^t5^r 6 =r <pkm4d I

^Tct: fW: ^l^cildklgfcl 1 1

^TfcT TTcT T tttTcT TRt?TT: 7 I

' o

Rs?lHdH< 'TZFTW fc WHW cfft^ ffcT 1 1 1 1

II ffrT •W 5 ? ^TfFHT II

II ffrT rpft^STFT: II

i" tti" 3riidN9b I ar^r *r 3 ttwi^t I <t J trrrr 2

TTfTT^T R^'H^'Hdl'TT: c I^Pl-^?l u =i'TilP|[c1 I iRfd ft^TT 1 1 ? 1 1

TcT I

iisM^ RrcIT tfelW sl'tlft I

^PTT dl^dllR^dHfdl^l^TdW cf^fef^R^tgJ 5 ^' W^fcT I STTTcfT

ft fqF wiRicr 4 I arwthg- 1 crorrarPT srftwr I

T ^5'5)41Rfrl I

^>mr •^cicd'biiRfd I

W t 4t Sift I

c\

^fRnchhi^ioi: yfci^i 5r^c4H^m41cr I

tt 5TfRTT I ^rarftft ti^i^ I °i n i t dimr

awrt l ^rRtr wffi-. dr^ls^ftor fftw. tow Rw

WtTT ^luii^oiinpiiHiR oi||<c^HitlR |>dd iRld L nf4d J H4 W eJTTT TTST

wtf: otrft w wcnft 5 m$w vm? wwor I wr>% owtt tot st§t I

odW4' WFwft^Pd trr wtwr cRmRRi w ftgrr

QcTgTR^ !

102

Brhadaratiyaka Upanisad

4.1.2

A tree, when it’s uprooted.

Will not sprout out again;

From what root does a mortal man grow,
When he is cut down by death?

Once he’s bom,

he can’t be bom again.

Who, I ask,

will beget him again?

Perception, bliss, brahman ,

The gift of those who give.

The highest good —

awaits those who know this
and stand firm.

ADHYAYA 4

I Once when Janaka, the king of Videha, was formally seated, Yajnavalkya came
up to him. Janaka asked him: “Yajnavalkya, why have you come? Are you
after cows or subtle disquisitions?” He replied: “Both, your majesty. 2 Let’s hear
what they have told you.”

‘“Brahman is speech.’ That’s what Jitvan Sailini told me,” said Janaka.

“Sailini told you 'Brahman is speech’? Why, that’s like someone telling that he
has a father, or a mother, or a teacher! He probably reasoned: ‘What could a person
who cannot speak possibly have?’ But did he tell you what its abode and foundation
are?”

“He did not tell me that.”

“Then it’s a one-legged brahman , Your Majesty.”

“Why don’t you tell us that yourself, Yajnavalkya?”

“Speech itself is its abode, and space is its foundation. One should venerate it
as knowledge.”

“What constitutes knowledge, Yajnavalkya?”

“Speech itself, Your Majesty,” he replied. “For surely, Your Majesty, it is
through speech that we come to know a counterpart. Rgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda,
the Atharva-Angiras, histories, ancient tales, sciences, hidden teachings ( upanisad ),
verses, aphorisms, explanations, and glosses; offerings and oblations; food and
drink; this world and the next world; and all beings — it is through speech, Your
Majesty, that we come to know all these. So clearly, Your Majesty, the highest
brahman is speech. When a man knows and venerates it as such, speech never
abandons him, and all beings flock to him; he becomes a god and joins the company
of gods.”

103

4.1.2

The Early Upanisads

^pfrtcT ^IdM : I

*r imr? Rcrr ^tort TFgf^w ftcifcr ll^ll ?Rcr cr

cbfR^^cl-^lctR lei' 1 I

3TM^T TOf: ^frWT^FT: TOFT t sT^Rf I

^T^TT H l^yifR^HHMMdMdlrl^TT cT^ ^ N dl i^trSIMt' 4" ^ffeT I
3MWT % W WTf^frT I 3TOftrf cT TOmTOR Fife TW I

t £nser4tRRr I
W TTcfcWrfMrr I
ww i

c\

STO IJ^TOcFFTT^W: Sf feTW fM^Tr^wfref I
cR f^TrlT WW I RFr ^ -H-y if^fcl' ftTOR I RFIW 4" TO
TORWRTW ?TTTOT?^fcr^W yfcl%lfcl I 3Tfa cR ^JTOf" 3 RlfcT q+
fitter rTORt to wi I sn°fr I - Emz qro I 44 mTO ^nfcf

^TTOf^T#cT ^FF^feT 5T RR f^FTr^WeT I

W^W TO TOrttfeT fRlR TORT tRff: I
F flroer WWT: feRTT tTsTOTcT TOq%R ft^feT IRM 4
cpBi^5i41t1'^ u ic||^1ci I

^5j41^ siRfci I

UTO ■Hl<^’Hli^ L l'^.HMI''ll4 c l RTRvRTT ^rwfs^TOr^f 1 s^lvrfrT I 3TRTO?ff
f^ fqfr TOf^feT 3 I 3^^ 4 cTOTOTT SlfclWT I
T 45sl4]Rfcl I
>TOW tJ^TOTfefeT I
& 4 4t i% WTOTO I

c\

xf^^RTOTOTRRT: yfd^*l TO*lf4c4R|TOftcr I

RT <rl c4 cl I JfTOW I '(riy iRfcl (fid M I ■=Hjj b ll 4" ’TOTeT T^TOf-

yi§<^ii^Rlci ft 3TTfT^#r{cr cion cm wfer I FraR tot ^r I 44
T^g^fTfeT h 4R44 ^dl^Rr^RRcf 4=4 cRuRfcl *T t^T Rgj^cl^-
mRl l

hw TOnftfeT fro^r i

104

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4 . 1.4

Janaka of Videha exclaimed: “I’ll give you a thousand cows together with bulls
and elephants!”

Yajnavalkya replied: “My father believed that one should never accept a gift
before giving instruction. 3 Let’s hear what else they have told you.”

Brahman is breath.’ That’s whatUdahka Saulbayana told me,” said Janaka.

“Saulbayana told you ‘ Brahman is breath’? Why, that’s like someone telling
that he has a father, or a mother, or a teacher! He probably reasoned: ‘What could a
person who cannot breathe possibly have?’ But did he tell you what its abode and
foundation are?”

“He did not tell me that.”

“Then it’s a one-legged brahman, Your Majesty.”

“Why don’t you tell us that yourself, Yajnavalkya?”

“Breath itself is its abode, and space is its foundation. One should venerate it as
‘dear.’”

“What constitutes ‘dear,’ Yajnavalkya?”

“Breath itself, Your Majesty,” he replied. “For surely, Your Majesty, it is for
the love of one’s breath that one officiates at the sacrifice of a man at whose sacri-
fices one is forbidden to officiate or accepts gifts from a man from whom one is
forbidden to accept gifts. And if a man is afraid of getting killed when he travels
somewhere, Your Majesty, it is because he loves his breath. So clearly, Your Maj-
esty, the highest brahman is breath. When a man knows and venerates it as such,
breath never abandons him, and all beings flock to him; he becomes a god and joins
the company of gods.”

Janaka of Videha exclaimed: “I’ll give you a thousand cows together with bulls
and elephants!”

Yajnavalkya replied: “My father believed that one should never accept a gift
before giving instruction. 4 Let’ s hear what else they have told you.”

“‘ Brahman is sight.’ That’s what Barku Varsna told me,” said Janaka.

“Varsna told you ‘ Brahman is sight’? Why, that’s like someone telling that he
has a father, or a mother, or a teacher! He probably reasoned: ‘What could a person
who cannot see possibly have?’ But did he tell you what its abode and foundation
are?”

“He did not tell me that.”

“Then it’s a one-legged brahman, Your Majesty.”

“Why don’t you tell us that yourself, Yajnavalkya?”

“Sight itself is its abode, and space is its foundation. One should venerate it as
truth.”

“What constitutes truth, Yajnavalkya?”

“Sight itself, Your Majesty,” he replied. “For surely. Your Majesty, when they
ask someone who has seen something with his sight: ‘Did you see it?’ and he re-
plies: ‘I saw it,’ it is taken as the truth. So clearly, Your Majesty, the highest brah-
man is sight. When a man knows and venerates it as such, sight never abandons
him, and all beings flock to him; he becomes a god and joins the company of gods.”

Janaka of Videha exclaimed: “I’ll give you a thousand cows together with bulls
and elephants!”

105

4 . 1.4

The Early Upanisads

d~ {TfaTEf d l^ldedd: Rid I iRsd'dd dlddRl^d sRclfcl ll'&’ll dRd

3 ^#% ar^frtMcft T4( <g.T5-r: ssfH- f a^frr !
ddT dl^dlRR^dldldldd d^rdTrTOT d 4 kg. 1 41 Ssl 41 •<*£) 4 % 5 RI Ref I
3T^W fR RR WlRRi' I 3TsT#r[ Rf dOTWOT SlfcIWT I
T iRSsRtRfrf I
d/OTTgi TTcTc?TEn^fcr I
<T t dR srf]R illddcKKi I

C\

rf-iVoRdr f?4^n#rr I

tototot wtott I R?r q^r ddiftfcR fRrrr I rTFmf dOTsfR 2 w ^ t
^ f^T d^fcT %TOTT 3RT d^fcT I SFRTT % f^T: I R^lR t ddTT

afOTT I #t t dw- tot ^r I %R sRRR OTpfcr ddWd ^dMf^Rf^T

Rot ^H^feT t qg- f%£FTd'|wr I

flfr^OTT gglRllcT Rid Id 'jH=b1 4Rq: I

dT ROTOT RcTT RTSdOTeT dlddRltd R^ffeT IIM I dRd" ft

^RRjTsr4"1d d^l dlRfcl I

sot## ototottt ototojt ddR ^ srRfcr I

W d l^d iRl^dldTd iJoV^dT-fr^I d^Nleilid4)-HdT t - OTRfcT I
3OTddR % RR RITWRr I OTT#dr ?T dOTIOTid' RcTOTOT I
d - ^591 41 Rid I
oothiot q,dcddiRRi’ I
df t dR sfR dl^ldedd I

c\

dd" q^Tddddld^l^U yid^M-g $r4d^HI<Rld' I

OTdOTdf dl^ldOTT I dT qT ddlRfci Rdld I dddfT %” ddld fROTT-

dfRrwdRrr 3 otot srfcTOTT: jrr ototR w ottot | ddR 4 “ w tot ?iot I
%R ddR dufer ddWr ddMRf^R^T RdR ROTdRfcT T dR
R^Rd^Hidcr I

fOTgW d^T T^nftfcr flOTT OTIOTR tRf : I

d~ R|c| id d Iddedd : Rd I RTSdOTcT d iddRl ^d ^RclfcR IRI I dRd cT

TifRdddlrl^uiciRfrl' I

106

Brhaclaranyaka Upanisad

4.1.7

Yajnavalkya replied: “My father believed that one should never accept a gift
before giving instruction. 5 Let’s hear what else they have told you.”

“ ‘ Brahman is hearing.’ That’s what Gardabhlviplta Bharadvaja told me,” said
Janaka.

“Bharadvaja told you ‘Brahman is hearing’? Why, that’s like someone telling
that he has a father, or a mother, or a teacher! He probably reasoned: ‘What could a
person who cannot hear possibly have?’ But did he tell you what its abode and
foundation are?”

“He did not tell me that.”

“Then it’s a one-legged brahman, Your Majesty.”

“Why don’t you tell us that yourself, Yajnavalkya?”

“Hearing itself is its abode, and space is its foundation. One should venerate it
as limitless.”

“What constitutes the limitless, Yajnavalkya?”

“The quarters themselves, Your Majesty,” he replied. “Therefore, toward
whichever quarter a man may travel, Your Majesty, he will never reach its limit, for
the quarters are limitless. And the quarters, Your Majesty, are the same as hearing.
So clearly, Your Majesty, the highest brahman is hearing. When a man knows and
venerates it as such, hearing never abandons him, and all beings flock to him; he
becomes a god and joins the company of gods.”

Janaka of Videha exclaimed: “I’ll give you a thousand cows together with bulls
and elephants!”

Yajnavalkya replied: “My father believed that one should never accept a gift
before giving instruction. 6 Let’s hear what else they have told you.”

Brahman is the mind.’ That’s what Satyakama Jabala told me,” said Janaka.

“Jabala told you ‘ Brahman is the mind’? Why, that’s like someone telling that
he has a father, or a mother, or a teacher! He probably reasoned: ‘What could a per-
son who has no mind possibly have?’ But did he tell you what its abode and
foundation are?”

“He did not tell me that.”

“Then it’s a one-legged brahman, Your Majesty.”

“Why don’t you tell us that yourself, Yajnavalkya?”

“The mind itself is its abode, and space is its foundation. One should venerate it
as bliss.”

“What constitutes bliss, Yajnavalkya?”

“The mind itself, Your Majesty,” he replied. “For surely, Your Majesty, it is
with the mind that a man takes a woman to himself and through her fathers a son
who resembles him. And that is bliss. So clearly. Your Majesty, the highest brah-
man is the mind. When a man knows and venerates it as such, the mind never
abandons him, and all beings flock to him; he becomes a god and joins the company
of gods.”

Janaka of Videha exclaimed: “I’ll give you a thousand cows together with bulls
and elephants!”

Yajnavalkya replied: “My father believed that one should never accept a gift
before giving instruction. 7 Let’s hear what else they have told you.”

107

4 . 1.7

The Early Upanisads

£PTT Hl^aTf^cjaMM^dl^aiTlFr 4” 5^fcT I

3TfFF?F ft fW ?FlWcT I 3TF#§- ^ dWWcK afcIWP I
E tsi^frT I
U=bMiai ITcTcWfftfcr I
F t FT aft WWEEW I

C\

fF^TFcFFTT^RT: aftw ftrfclRRH^M itld I
W r ftrrfcTT 2 I FErrftfcT f^TF I t EWE E$wf

WRlFTFdFTT 3 I t F5TT5' E%m FcTRT at clW I tw 5TW

artrRr fcttRt afcrfediR Faf^r 4 I ^sw t ewe aaat sr^r I tt f^at
afiTfcr daHt ^raFf^T^T tat ^ taFF^fcr f of Rrgj^gwt I
W^WE EW ^FftfcT tfaTF 5Rcpf I
E ffaTST WoW: ftdT ^STRTcf dFIFftw itcTfcT I |V9 1 1

1 1 ftcT WET UfTW 1 1

EWET f ttf: 1 WWWFW I EE FT $rreRRr I

*r frapa w t w ar # ar aaK^attcnft-

$ 4 Raft:: FFTftdTfFrRr I at - ^?rw m<5E: ?TF?ftrrta drRaRaw jet
ft^FTF: cfcf J|fi|Wl41Rr I

art wr altwttfcr I

3w t tst rwaft wr aftwttft l
a4tg- wnRrfcr ll?ll

wet §■ f- =n% %w 1 1 w a^rRa# aaaRRr fwrwt

aiRttcr | aR^rRar ^r ft ^rn a^tflF: IRII
iwm a# Wee l apaftr eteW r e snarer: I eWeeRe^

E aRter^tR c^TftdftW: I Ftdal^ddaid^V EEE'^EpA afR5attFl
3#aFftaT gfcn 1 4ra *°R tar argsr^dcr I w 4 ft: awar

Rna awtciT ftdT ete FFgFtaR^t aftfecrr aaftt I adiftti aprai-

^fFpl-Mdld 3 I ddHI^a afdfdxt)lpl<d< ftF ddcadHl^l'TRl4lc'H4~: 1 1 R I

crf ar# 1 ftaar^.- awr aRnar ft>a%R z amr: acfhft ftaaca^: amr

108

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4.2.4

‘“Brahman is the heart.’ That’s what Vidagdha Sakalya told me,” said Janaka.

“Sakalya told you ‘ Brahman is the heart’? Why, that’s like someone telling that
he has a father, or a mother, or a teacher! He probably reasoned: ‘What could a per-
son who has no heart possibly have?’ But did he tell you what its abode and
foundation are?”

“He did not tell me that.”

“Then it’s a one-legged brahman. Your Majesty.”

“Why don’t you tell us that yourself, Yajnavalkya?”

“The heart itself is its abode, and space is its foundation. One should venerate it
as stability.”

“What constitutes stability, Yajnavalkya?”

“The heart itself, Your Majesty,” he replied. “For surely, Your Majesty, the
heart is the abode of all beings; the heart is the foundation of all beings. For it is on
the heart that all the beings are founded. So clearly, Your Majesty, the highest
brahman is the heart. When a man knows and venerates it as such, the heart never
abandons him, and all beings flock to him; he becomes a god and joins the company
of gods.”

Janaka of Videha exclaimed: “I’ll give you a thousand cows together with bulls
and elephants!”

Yajnavalkya replied: “My father believed that one should never accept a gift
before giving instruction.”

2 Janaka, the king of Videha, got down from his seat, came up to him, and said:
“Homage to you, Yajnavalkya. Please teach me.”

Yajnavalkya replied: “Just as a king, when he is about to undertake a great ex-
pedition, would equip himself with a chariot or a ship, so have you equipped
yourself with these hidden teachings (upanisad). You are so eminent and rich; you
have learned the Vedas; and you are versed in the hidden teachings (upanisad). So
can you tell me where you will go when you leave this world?”

“No, sir. I don’t know where I’ll go.”

“Well, I’ll tell you where you will go.”

“Do tell me, sir.”

2 “Clearly, the true name of the person in the right eye is Indha. Even though he
is really Indha, people cryptically call him ‘Indra,’ because gods in some ways love
the cryptic and despise the plain. 3 What looks like a person in the left eye, on the
other hand, is his wife Viraj. Their meeting place is the space within the heart, their
food is the red lump in the heart, and their garment is the meshlike substance within
the heart. The path along which they travel is the vein that goes up from the heart.
The veins called Hita that are located in the heart are as fine as a hair split a thou-
sandfold. Along them the sap flows continuously. In some ways, therefore, this
person eats food that is more refined than does the bodily self (atman).

4 “The vital functions (prana ) of this person that are on his front side constitute
the eastern quarter; the vital functions on his right side constitute the southern
quarter; the vital functions at his back constitute the western quarter; the vital func-
tions on his left side constitute the northern quarter; the vital functions on his upper

109

4.2.4

The Early Upanisads

JTFTT 3FE3? f^qf: 5!MT 3Tq7# f^TW: RFTT: ?Tqf fer:

?Tf 3FTT: I

*T FF ^fcT ^TcRT I appljt =T % I 3T5fWf =T % $McT I 3RTff T

% I 3Tfecrr t I =r I srm f qrats#% fmr^r

I F t^ftSRq' T$r q^RlW^WT q? qt

VFrq?fW | qwfS^ 6 I fit 3Tqq^R#R 7 I |V| |

II ffcr ftcfNr aifpw II

5R# -f wqqqqt ^rnr I sr ifr =t qf^R I sra - w q^R--
qrfrq^rar^rfr^ ^p^tcT 2 l cr^ - f qwqqqqt qt I *r w
<& I # wr^ I # w srar^r q# 2 qrrqj 1 1 ? II
wqqw i^wrfcRqr qw ft^r l srTf^rwrfrr: m rtefcr ^tht l anf^-
^t%fq ^fTfcHTRcT ^ i^qc^cflfa 1 I iTq^tcTRRq^q I R II

3Rff^Tcf 3TTf^r qTffqqqq' fq.jitiP-V.q iq |% I q^RT QqTR
aqlicl4qcflfc( I iq acftfcPTR^' "TRTq^' q^t £fcR?cl ’ Movefile) I

o

trq^cMTffqqqq' ii^ii

3R#RT qnqqqq RtrwM f^qrfcl^qw gw ffcT I

arft&efTOT ^frfcnfq^frfcT 1 I arf^qpr aqi^rR-r w?t qa# q^- f^r^r-

cftfcT I q,qi]5ci'qi5i c i<?<w ||V||

SRcrfiRT aTTf^c^ qwqeqq" q-^qqq'Rlftrl 5TFcTS?ff f^5?f[ [^^qrsf gw

^r l q^miFr ^frfMqiftfcr 1 I qitw RrfcRR^ wit qqf 5 ^
i^TRlcftfcf 2 I crFrif qrr w. f^#Tcrs«r rr qiy^q^q'

rpq %ftfcT I q^tcTWq^T IIMI

at tcipHcF arrf^r qrfrqqqq' "q^qqqqrtfHcl qiTrTspfr 5TRrrqt qrf^r
feqtfci^qw q^r ffrT I anc^rw I 3 ttr%r aqtf^nqRcr

qqq-q-^ <3p$ RRcRutie.'' I R 1 1

ERR 3TTcftfcT I RtR f^fTTWr: 91% f?RRHff^T: qR:‘ F fRTH~:

fr?mt o6lcbiqq<Hq^ r 2 sqiqJW ^rfiq^q- I *r % 3 fq-RT RtR efftarr-

O -O C\

fcisRifflfcr ^nf&r i Ivs 1 1

no

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4 . 3.8

side constitute the zenith; the vital functions on his bottom side constitute the nadir;
and all his vital functions together constitute all the quarters.

“About this self ( atman ), one can only say ‘not — , not — He is ungraspable,
for he cannot be grasped. He is undecaying, for he is not subject to decay. He has
nothing sticking to him, for he does not stick to anything. He is not bound; yet he
neither trembles in fear nor suffers injury. Truly, Janaka, you have attained freedom
from fear.’’

After Yajnavalkya had said this, Janaka of Videha replied: “May that freedom
be yours too, Yajnavalkya, you who have taught us that freedom from fear. Homage
to you! These people of Videha and I myself — here we are at your service!”

3 One day Yajnavalkya paid a visit to Janaka, the king of Videha, thinking to
himself, “I won’t tell him.” But once, when the two were engaged in a discus-
sion about the daily fire sacrifice, Yajnavalkya had granted Janaka of Videha a
wish. The wish he chose was the freedom to ask any question at will, and
Yajnavalkya had granted it to him. So it was the king who now put the question to
him first.

2 “Yajnavalkya, what is the source of light for a person here?”

“The sun, Your Majesty, is his source of light,” he replied. “It is by the light of
the sun that a person sits down, goes about, does his work, and returns.”

“Quite right, Yajnavalkya. 3 But when the sun has set, Yajnavalkya, what then
is the source of light for a person here?”

“The moon is then his source of light. It is by the light of the moon that a per-
son sits down, goes about, does his work, and returns.”

“Quite right, Yajnavalkya. 4 But when both the sun and the moon have set,
Yajnavalkya, what then is the source of light for a person here?”

“A fire is then his source of light. It is by the light of a fire that a person sits
down, goes about, does his work, and returns.”

“Quite right, Yajnavalkya. 5 But when both the sun and the moon have set,
Yajnavalkya, and the fire has died out, what then is the source of light for a person
here?”

“The voice is then his source of light. It is by the light of the voice that a person
sits down, goes about, does his work, and returns. Therefore, Your Majesty, when
someone cannot make out even his own hand, he goes straightway toward the spot
from where he hears a voice.”

“Quite right, Yajnavalkya. 6 But when both the sun and the moon have set, the
fire has died out, and the voice is stilled, Yajnavalkya, what then is the source of
light for a person here?”

“The self {atman) is then his source of light. It is by the light of the self that a
person sits down, goes about, does his work, and returns.”

7 “Which self is that?”

“It is this person — the one that consists of perception among the vital functions
(prana), the one that is the inner light within the heart. He travels across both
worlds, being common to both. Sometimes he reflects, sometimes he flutters, for
when he falls asleep he transcends this world, these visible forms of death. 8 When

111

4 . 3.8

The Early Upanisads

*T 3T 3PT gwt -H M : qwrft: Fgwt I F

■^wrFftrwFr: qrwfrftwrfcr 1 Ik 1 1

cm 5(T gcrw gww £ g=r FTFT w ft ^ qr«lwT ^ I
cjffTtr I frf^RFet ftft fcPstcT 1 ^r

qq^tw^rpr tj - i srsq- jjwtef qwfwrrt wfcr crm^w^Rft-
wPTTwr ^TFFtra - mfc r I ?r w q^F-rdM sftwr wra# fw-
WWT FFT ftfW WT ftfftr #T WTT i&T ^frfcW RFrftft I Wrrt
5W: ?crt^rfrnkfcT I Kl I

TWMT fWFTT T T^THt wftf I ZW WFT FqttFTWT: g^ft I

t mimcr g^: ggtr wftr ! qg^.- gwr I =r w

M'l^bRuii: 1 gcRtr wftf I 3T2T tSTRTTgpFfNt: 2 WFx ft: gWrT I ?T ft
5Pclf 1 1 ? 0 1 1

d^'cT ^ 4|c(iti |

^TT ^TTfrq^ftW^TTgff: §HHf^T^flfcl' I

gdtfcr ftft ftwrai gw 3 1 1 ? ? 1 1

mrw gwt 1 gc5Tt q ?$ v.cgo5 1 wrg I

f f^rtsgcfr 2 *rwrtf ftwrai gw 3 g^w; 1 1 ? g 1 1
^4 1 d d'41 d d Idt ^MlRl «l j*PT I

3clqT Fftft: *Tf jf^THl" ST^lfcFnft wft q^T 1 1 ? 3 1 1
an^wr q^rftr w cf q^rfcr I

t WTcT tmtftrFff: I ff^FW fT# wfcT *FfT T SfftwT I 3fsfT
^rptTftrt^r qgrR% gft 3 I *n£r #r wrwFTft rnft §f gft l
3TqW H<t>q: wqWlfcl tdfcT I

o

FTSf *R^TcT FfFT I 3TcT 3F# ftFt^FT 5 |tffcT ll?V||

f 1 ft gw igrftRfwit wrr gw f - qrr xr gr: qftwrt

qfoPFwrwft t f ww itttwwwFwwrttr i-mFci I aiy^-r

fit gw gft I

112

Brhadaranyaka Upanisacl

4.3.15

at birth this person takes on a body, he becomes united with bad things, and when at
death he leaves it behind, he gets rid of those bad things.

9 “Now, this person has just two places — this world and the other world. And
there is a third, the place of dream where the two meet. Standing there in the place
where the two meet, he sees both those places — this world and the other world.
Now, that place serves as an entryway to the other world, and as he moves through
that entry way he sees both the bad things and the joys.

“This is how he dreams. He takes materials from the entire world and, taking
them apart on his own and then on his own putting them back together, he dreams
with his own radiance, with his own light. In that place this person becomes his own
light. 10 In that place there are no carriages, there are no tandems, and there are no
roads; but he creates for himself carriages, tandems, and roads. In that place there
are no joys, pleasures, or delights; but he creates for himself joys, pleasures, and
delights. In that place there are no pools, ponds, or rivers; but he creates for himself
pools, ponds, and rivers — for he is a creator. 1 1 On this subject, there are these
verses:

Subduing by sleep the bodily realm.

Remaining awake, he contemplates
the sleeping senses.

Taking the light, he returns to his place —

The golden person!

The single goose!

12 Guarding by breath the lower nest,

The immortal roams outside the nest;

The immortal goes wherever he wants —

The golden person!

The single goose!

13 Traveling in sleep to places high and low,

The god creates many a visible form —

now dallying with women,

now laughing,

now seeing frightful things.

14 All they see is his pleasure ground;

But him no one sees at all.

“So people say that one should not awaken a man who is sound asleep; it is
very hard to cure anyone to whom that person has not returned. Now, people also
say that this place of his is the same as the place he is in when he is awake, because
one sees in a dream the same things one sees when one is awake. Here, in dream, a
man becomes his own light.”

“Here, sir. I’ll give you a thousand cows! But you’ll have to tell me more than
that to get yourself released!”

1 5 “Well, after this person has enjoyed himself and traveled around in that se-
rene realm and seen for himself the good and the bad, he rushes along the same path
and through the same opening back again to the realm of dream. Whatever he may

113

The Early Upanisads

g#cr !I?MI
*r m i^r

stst ^rf^r I 3T?r are?

XT m XT 5^: RfcT^W

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4.3.24

have seen in that serene realm does not follow him, because nothing sticks to this
person.”

“Quite right, Yajnavalkya. Here, sir, I’ll give you a thousand cows! But you’ll
have to tell me more than that to get yourself released!”

16 “Well, after this person has enjoyed himself and traveled around in that realm
of dream and seen for himself the good and the bad, he rushes along the same path
and through the same opening back again to the realm where one is awake. What-
ever he may have seen in that realm of dream does not follow him, because nothing
sticks to this person.”

“Quite right, Yajnavalkya. Here, sir, I’ll give you a thousand cows! But you’ll
have to tell me more than that to get yourself released!”

17 “Well, after this person has enjoyed himself and traveled around in this realm
where one is awake and seen for himself the good and the bad, he rushes along the
same path and through the same opening back again to the realm of dream.

18 “It is like this. As a large fish moves between both banks, the nearer and the
farther, so this person moves between both realms, the realm of dream and the
realm where one is awake.

19 “It is like this. As a hawk or an eagle, after flying around in the sky and get-
ting tired, folds its wings and swoops down into its nest, so this person rushes into
that realm where as he sleeps he has no desires and sees no dreams.

20 “Now, he has these veins called Hita. They are as fine as a hair split a thou-
sandfold and are filled with white, blue, orange, green, and red fluid. Now, when
people appear to kill or to vanquish him, when an elephant appears to chase him, or
when he appears to fall into a pit, he is only ignorantly imagining dangers that he
had seen while he was awake. But when he, appearing to be a god or a king, thinks
‘I alone am this world! I am all!’ — that is his highest world.

21 “Now, this is the aspect of his that is beyond what appears to be good, freed
from what is bad, and without fear.

“It is like this. As a man embraced by a woman he loves is oblivious to every-
thing within or without, so this person embraced by the self ( atman ) consisting of
knowledge is oblivious to everything within or without.

“Clearly, this is the aspect of his where all desires are fulfilled, where the self is
the only desire, and which is free from desires and far from sorrows.

22 “Here a father is not a father, a mother is not a mother, worlds are not worlds,
gods are not gods, and Vedas are not Vedas. Here a thief is not a thief, an abortion-
ist is not an abortionist, an outcaste is not an outcaste, a pariah is not a pariah, a
recluse is not a recluse, and an ascetic is not an ascetic. Neither the good nor the bad
follows him, for he has now passed beyond all sorrows of the heart.

23 “Now, he does not see anything here; but although he does not see, he is quite
capable of seeing, for it is impossible for the seer to lose his capacity to see, for it is
indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here that he could see as something
distinct and separate from himself.

24 “Nor does he smell anything here; but although he does not smell, he is quite
capable of smelling, for it is impossible for the smeller to lose his capacity to smell,

115

4 . 3.24

The Early Upanisads

# cT?r imtf '^t 2 d?r 3 I t it ^t^ ^ mR^hY
ft^sftrrftwcr I =r ct^ ftcfareffcr mrs^f^ irkII

Jft m cprfcr I t ft f^wcrsf^r-

^rritRW I t 3 - rr^ ftcftmfer d^rf^rar ?T£t?r ll^ll

qf crw ^YtT ^4# cnY ^ftfcT I =T ft ^ flYtrRojRfr fWsft-
^nRiwra: t t g- cr^ ftcft^rRcr dnms^dft^FF I r«i 1

jft dW TTjt WRT t cfsT djt I T ft JT^crfM^fr ftdtsft-
^ttRt?w I =t g - cf5[ ft^nrftr cRfrs^rft^t jpdttr I \^c l I

Jit dd - dpfcT dp# dt dpfcT I T ft dPf: d^^ftYtott ftd-
tsftRTftc^TqT I T cj cT^ ftttJPTftr clcffc^rft^W dpt# I Ipl I

# dd ftdHlft ftdH# dd ftdHTft I d ft ftwgf%TtftqRcttT 2
ft^sftrrftcw I t c[g[ ftcftnrftr ddt#tdrt dftdT#w 1 1 3 o 1 1

W dT SFdftd ddrddl
•Rli^x^uiii i<4'-tl6'-j)^H , -41 ci Pd <r^^i rs-i) fp I%ncf I R ?

df&d p# ^rtcfr ddfcr 1 l pr ytuRi^: dRp I t# tpgmr 2
WdddT: I ipidd W rrftr: 3 I iTf[M W HW I pTSdl" t TT 3 TT dldd I
ptdT ddd 3TRP: I q^Rt^FT^PTRTTft pTTft dTdmtWtr 1 1 ^ 1 1

d # dprmf dpt dddd#drRttqft dt^pdYtRf: 1 twr:
d dpTWT TdT 3THp: I 3Td Jr dd ^WFIWFRT: d pd ftpr
RldcilchHmH^: I dd t dd ftplt fadoif<*>HMl''K'l: Y pdf dddfdfdd
dTdd | 3Td d 5Td JR#c>Sl<d' 3TFRT: d dp: d4^Hldid#T' t °b4 u ll
td dl dftddddt I dd t 5Td dtpMTdlddT: d dp dMH'^HWMp: I

116

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4.3.33

for it is indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here that he could smell as
something distinct and separate from himself.

25 “Nor does he taste anything here; but although he does not taste, he is quite
capable of tasting, for it is impossible for the taster to lose his capacity to taste, for it
is indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here that he could taste as some-
thing distinct and separate from himself.

26 “Nor does he speak anything here; but although he does not speak, he is quite
capable of speaking, for it is impossible for the speaker to lose his capacity to speak,
for it is indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here that he could speak to as
something distinct and separate from himself.

27 “Nor does he hear anything here; but although he does not hear, he is quite
capable of hearing, for it is impossible for the hearer to lose his capacity to hear, for
it is indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here that he could hear as some-
thing distinct and separate from himself.

28 “Nor does he think of anything here; but although he does not think, he is
quite capable of thinking, for it is impossible for the thinker to lose his capacity to
think, for it is indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here about which he
could think as something distinct and separate from himself.

29 “Nor does he touch anything here; but although he does not touch, he is quite
capable of touching, for it is impossible for the toucher to lose his capacity to touch,
for it is indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here that he could touch as
something distinct and separate from himself.

30“Nor does he perceive anything here; but although he does not perceive, he is
quite capable of perceiving, for it is impossible for the perceiver to lose his capacity
to perceive, for it is indestructible. But there isn’t a second reality here that he could
perceive as something distinct and separate from himself.

3 1 “When there is some other thing, then the one can see the other, the one can
smell the other, the one can taste the other, the one can speak to the other, the one
can hear the other, the one can think of the other, the one can touch the other, and
the one can perceive the other.

32 “He becomes the one ocean, he becomes the sole seer! This, Your Majesty, is
the world of brahman.” So did Yajnavalkya instruct him. “This is his highest goal!
This is his highest attainment! This is his highest world! This is his highest bliss!
On just a fraction of this bliss do other creatures live.

33 “Among human beings, when someone is successful and rich, ruling over
others and enjoying to the utmost all human pleasures — that is the highest bliss of
human beings. Now, a hundred measures of such human bliss equal a single mea-
sure of the bliss enjoyed by the ancestors who have won their world. And a hundred
measures of the bliss enjoyed by the ancestors who have won their world equal a
single measure of the bliss enjoyed in the world of the Gandharvas. A hundred
measures of bliss enjoyed in the world of the Gandharvas equal a single measure of
bliss enjoyed by gods-by-rites, that is, those who have become gods by performing
rites. A hundred measures of bliss enjoyed by gods-by-rites equal a single measure
of bliss enjoyed by gods-by-birth — and, one might add, by those who are learned in
the Vedas and who are not crooked or lustful. A hundred measures _of bliss enjoyed

117

The Early Upanisads

H<cjH|J-||-Ki: g- qcp 5T5TT-
: I 5RT tT 5RT a^rofcPAlcfj

Brhadaranyaka Upanisacl

4.4.2

by gods-by-birth equal a single measure of bliss enjoyed in the world of Prajapati —
and, one might add, by those who are learned in the Vedas and who are not crooked
or lustful. A hundred measures of bliss enjoyed in the world of Prajapati equal a
single measure of bliss enjoyed in the world of brahman — and, one might add, by
those who are learned in the Vedas and who are not crooked or lustful. Now this,
undoubtedly, is the highest bliss. This, Your Majesty, is the world of brahman.'” So
said Yajnavalkya.

“Here, sir, I’ll give you a thousand cows! But you’ll have to tell me more than
that to get yourself released!”

At this point Yajnavalkya became alarmed, thinking: “The king is really sharp!
He has flushed me out of every cover.”

34 Yajnavalkya continued: “After this person has enjoyed himself and traveled
around in that realm of dream and seen for himself the good and the bad, he rushes
along the same path and through the same opening back again to the realm where
one is awake.

35 “It is like this. As a heavily loaded cart goes along creaking, so this bodily
self ( atman ), saddled with the self (atman) of knowledge, goes along groaning as he
is breathing his last. 36 Now a man grows feeble on account of either old age or
sickness.

“It is like this. As a mango or a fig or a berry detaches itself from its stem, so
this person frees himself from these bodily parts and rushes along the same path and
through the same opening back again to a new life (prana).

37 “It is like this. As soldiers, magistrates, equerries, and village headmen shout,
‘He’s arrived!’ and ‘Here he comes!’ as they wait expectantly with food, drink, and
lodging for a king who is about to arrive, so all beings shout, ‘Brahman has
arrived!’ and ‘Here comes brahmanV as they await a man who knows this.

38 “It is like this. As soldiers, magistrates, equerries, and village headmen
throng around a king who is about to depart, so at the time of death all the vital
functions (prana ) throng around this self (atman) as he is breathing his last.”

4 “Now, as this self (atman) grows steadily weaker and begins to lose conscious-
ness, these vital functions (prana) throng around him. Taking into himself these
particles of light, he descends back into the heart. When the person connected with
sight turns back, the man loses his ability to perceive visible forms. 2 So people say:
‘He’s sinking; he can’t see!’ — ‘He’s sinking; he can’t smell!’ — ‘He’s sinking; he
can’t taste!’ — ‘He’s sinking; he can’t speak!’ — ‘He’s sinking; he can’t hear!’ —
‘He’s sinking; he can’t think!’— ‘He’s sinking; he can’t feel a touch!’ — ‘He’s sink-
ing; he can’t perceive!’ Then the top of his heart lights up, and with that light the
self exits through the eye or the head or some other part of the body. As he is de-
parting, his lifebreath (prana ) departs with him. And as his lifebreath departs, all his
vital functions (prana) depart with it.

He then descends into a state of mere awareness and develops into one who is
thus endowed with perception. Then learning and rites, as well as memory, take
hold of him.

119

4.4.3

The Early Upanisads

wipf 2 sr^t f%cqrfmrr mil

cKFTT ^RTT RTRIWX^TRTWlt 3FT cT^ I

i^mic^ 1 5r0t f^wrl%?rr ^nwcrt 2 m spm 3

31 ^TRI# RT t<T RT aRTTTRt RT Wffl RT^TT RT Wt‘ I |V| |

' CN, X

R m WTTW sTfT %TFnwr #fPT:’ ^WH

aTTmfRfr RTWT 3TT^rr5r*T-M Rl did ill Sr) dl RiT: 3 ^Tfrrms^^XRRRT: 4

^TR^^tWrf I ffcT I

W^nfr ?FTT wtffr I RTg^mt - HTg^mfcT I 'TTWT^" mT ^fcT I
J03T: qrt^r cMV RTT: q#T I ST^fr XIRRIf : PM I^RT gw ffcT I ?T
WWfT WlfrT rR^crmicT 9 I JT^xnMrT 10 cTc^ gRPt | JTc^t SB^T

o o *o o

mf^RT'RRt' 1 I IHII
cT^T ^rafcT

cT^T RW: Rf <^'4^fcT fcJf- TFfl ' m I

WTCRT I

cTFn^Tcg^r# w,^fv 1 1
ifcr J $TWH: I

aT^QfWRTRl" RTScPTiTt 3TTHWT 3TT?WTdt =T cTFT 3F1T

qpWPTRr I I Kl I

cRR wfcT

mf STgmm P’l'HI’ ^SRT ftldl: I
3RT RRffs^cfr WRTR sT^T FRPgcT ffcT 1 1

d^TRTRI^P^mft’ 2 RR3fl% fdT WRTRTT SRftcT I XTcr^ 5Tftt ^ I
st'sttrii^i misgrn Rnpr ^fN~ mr rr I

RTS^ ^PftfcT ftRpET 5RT^t %c^If: 1 1 V3 1 1

mm mtw i

120

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4.4.8

3 “It is like this. As a caterpillar, when it comes to the tip of a blade of grass,
reaches out to a new foothold and draws itself onto it, so the self ( atman ), after it
has knocked down this body and rendered it unconscious, reaches out to a new
foothold and draws itself onto it.

4 “It is like this. As a weaver, after she has removed the colored yarn, weaves a
different design that is newer and more attractive, so the self, after it has knocked
down this body and rendered it unconscious, makes for himself a different figure
that is newer and more attractive — the figure of a forefather, or of a Gandharva, or
of a god, or of Prajapati, or of brahman, or else the figure of some other being.

5 “Clearly, this self is brahman — this self that is made of perception, made of
mind, made of sight, made of breath, made of hearing, made of earth, made of wa-
ter, made of wind, made of space, made of light and the lightless, made of desire
and the desireless, made of anger and the angerless, made of the righteous and the
unrighteous; this self that is made of everything. Hence there is this saying: ‘He’s
made of this. He’s made of that.’ What a man turns out to be depends on how he
acts and on how he conducts himself. If his actions are good, he will turn into
something good. If his actions are bad, he will turn into something bad. A man turns
into something good by good action and into something bad by bad action. And so
people say: ‘A person here consists simply of desire.’ A man resolves in accordance
with his desire, acts in accordance with his resolve, and turns out to be in accor-
dance with his action. 6 On this point there is the following verse:

A man who’s attached goes with his action,
to that very place to which
his mind and character cling.

Reaching the end of his action,

of whatever he has done in this world —

From that world he returns
back to this world,
back to action.

“That is the course of a man who desires.

“Now, a man who does not desire — who is without desires, who is freed from
desires, whose desires are fulfilled, whose only desire is his self — his vital functions
(prana) do not depart. Brahman he is, and to brahman he goes. 7 On this point there
is the following verse:

When they are all banished,

those desires lurking in one’s heart;

Then a mortal becomes immortal,

and attains brahman in this world.

“It is like this. As a snake’s slough, lifeless and discarded, lies on an anthill, so
lies this corpse. But this noncorporeal and immortal lifebreath (prana ) is nothing
but brahman , nothing but light.”

“Here, sir, I’ll give you a thousand cows!” said Janaka, the king of Videha.

8 “On this point there are the following verses:

121

4.4.8

The Early U path sads

3FT: 'FdT f^cTcf: 1 grdTWT dT d% I

rid" Sfk T 3f%T^T ^Tf^: dd>f d^FftcT 37sf ftgdd: 2 I \C 1 1

f^-d> fftcf eJlf^d d" I

t?sr q^rr fRftrTdttfcr iran'^^f^fFsr ikn
SFSi dd": flfolfcl ^felWTRT^ 1 I

o

cTcfr ^r cr cwr jt ^ ferwf 2 m: 1 1 ? ° 1 1

^ oyr^r sf&t dddicjm: l

dfdt ^T?frsfat 2 'ddT: 1 1 H 1 1

3rrdfrfT gw. I

WdW 5T^Td^t^dtcf 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

<U3jpjfari": afcl^a' WdTftddftff 1 dft Slftw I

d" f^STf dT ft dtdF cpcfr dW c^F: ¥ ^ c?W dcf 1 1 ^ 1 1

ttw 1 ddfW ftlTddW T ftdfe I

*t d^^dJdTdf dddd^rTt f^d^Prl' 4 1 1 ?V| I

d^dd^M$dcdlc-HH tWWdT I

fWT qddTSTFT =T deft ftddcddf 1 ll?Kll

dRdcfcl I

dt^rr vjiilfcrm ^If^^id^ra^s^jd^r 2 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

dRd'd’W R o-d \jh ! 3TTW3T5J yfdRdd"'. I
d%T W 3TTddFT f^M^TgdfajdFT W^W

122

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4 . 4.17

There is an ancient path

extremely fine and extending far;

It has touched me, I’ve discovered it!

By it they go up to the heavenly world
released from here,
wise men, knowers of brahman.

9 In it are the white and the blue, they say,
the orange, green, and red.

By brahman was this path discovered;

By it goes the knower of brahman,
the doer of good, the man of light.

10 Into blind darkness they enter,

people who worship ignorance;

And into still blinder darkness,
people who delight in learning.

11 ‘Joyless’ are those regions called,

in blind darkness they are cloaked;

Into them after death they go,

men who are not learned or wise.

12 If a person truly perceives the self,

knowing ‘I am he’;

What possibly could he want.

Whom possibly could he love,
that he should worry about his body?

13 The self has entered this body, this dense jumble;

if a man finds him,
recognizes him,

He’s the maker of everything — the author of all!
The world is his — he’s the world itself!

14 While we are still here, we have come to know it.

If you’ve not known it, great is your destruction.
Those who have known it — they become immortal.
As for the rest — only suffering awaits them.

15 When a man clearly sees this self as god,

the lord of what was
and of what will be.

He will not seek to hide from him.

16 Beneath which the year revolves

together with its days,

That the gods venerate
as the light of lights,
as life immortal.

17 In which are established

the various groups of five,
together with space;

I take that to be the self —

123

4 . 4.17

The Early Upanisads

FTFRF RFTgcT tfFFT FtF FFFT t FFT ft|p I

t ftftFgf^r jwiwr ll^ll

^R^Tg^cr 1 ^ FTFlfer f^jxR- I

fdFT: F gTgTTTSTrfcT F FF}F 1 1 ?^l I

:px?; d i ._• $ i.^,; .' | ^ 2> ;fi'' gcfF !

Riff: qr ftfffiff fiff I U« 1 1

o

cFTF sfttf RfWF wr ggcffcT ^t°t: I

FlgSFIF I &go^$sc} M I xft f^cilHH ft clRfcl 1 1 ^ ? 1 1

F FT gW W FlcFT FF3F ftFIFFF: SfFfg I F I^tSFr^F 3TTFF-
3IFfRF5#t F^FT F?ft FttFTF: F^FJlfSlHfcT:'’ F T FTFFT F^WT FFTF

-O C\ %

Ft TTgTFngFT ^%R' I ^ ?#^T: 4 I TgT ^FftFfcT: 5 I tgT fcTW:* I igt
tgffFFF TT^tT ctFFTTFFtFF I Ft?T ifFTgFFtF FT^PFT ftftftFftr FflF

fiRf fwififf^f 8 I gcntr gfttcrft I itcfif sraiRfFT ctFft-

: STFFftT I

u^ig: ft t cfcg^ 10 RrsiF: mr f fttfffT I RR fuff cbR^img fm

FtSiRIFITF FRF ffcT I t f FT FtFFTFRT MwiW Ft#RFTFFF
^^tfiftf Rr^riFt F#F I FT gtwr RT ftclW I FT RrtW Fr
rg§.M>v,- I Ft ^fr Iglt q°r W: I

F gF ^fcT tFTTcFT I FgffT F ft gflt I F ft sfttt I FFft

F ft FRcT 1 arftcfr F STFff 11 I F ft^ft 12 I ftcT F cRF fft I
3FT: FIFFFFrftfcT I 3RT: FFTMFFFFftRl I Ft F ttV 3 lRf F?Rt 4 I
FF fFTgtr clHd: IR-RI

cl^d^^T^grFF

124

Brhadaranyaka JJpanisad

4 . 4.23

I who have the knowledge,

I who am immortal,

I take that to be —
the brahman,
the immortal.

18 The breathing behind breathing, the sight behind sight,

the hearing behind hearing, the thinking behind thinking —
Those who know this perceive brahman,
the first,
the ancient.

19 With the mind alone must one behold it —

there is here nothing diverse at all!

From death to death he goes, who sees
here any kind of diversity.

20 As just singular must one behold it —

immeasurable and immovable.

The self is spotless and beyond space,
unborn, immense, immovable.

21 By knowing that very one a wise Brahmin

should obtain insight for himself.

Let him not ponder over a lot of words;
it just tires the voice!

22 “This immense, unborn self is none other than the one consisting of percep-
tion here among the vital functions (prana). There, in that space within the heart, he
lies — the controller of all, the lord of all, the ruler of all ! He does not become more
by good actions or in any way less by bad actions. He is the lord of all! He is the
ruler of creatures! He is the guardian of creatures! He is the dike separating these
worlds so they would not mingle with each other. It is he that Brahmins seek to
know by means of vedic recitation, sacrifice, gift-giving, austerity, and fasting. It is
he, on knowing whom a man becomes a sage. It is when they desire him as their
world that wandering ascetics undertake the ascetic life of wandering.

“It was when they knew this that men of old did not desire offspring, reasoning:
‘Ours is this self, and it is our world. What then is the use of offspring for us?’ So
they gave up the desire for sons, the desire for wealth, and the desire for worlds, and
undertook the mendicant life. The desire for sons, after all, is the same as the desire
for wealth, and the desire for wealth is the same as the desire for worlds — both are
simply desires.

“About this self ( atman ), one can only say ‘not — , not — .’ He is ungraspable,
for he cannot be grasped. He is undecaying, for he is not subject to decay. He has
nothing sticking to him, for he does not stick to anything. He is not bound; yet he
neither trembles in fear nor suffers injury.”

“These two thoughts do not pass across this self at all: ‘Therefore, I did some-
thing bad’; and ‘Therefore, I did something good.’ This self, on the other hand,
passes across both those; he is not burnt by anything that he has done or left undone.

23 The same point is made by this Rgvedic verse:

125

4 . 4.23

The Early Upanisads

itt fftft RftRr rt^pwi r Rftft Rftqf % RftftTR I
RfftR RRRiRfftft fftfftRr r fftRft r^rt qmftnfft 1 1

RFnftftfftRRRft rrt RRifteiV ^TTTR^RTRrnt qRftft 4 1

RftRTcRTR Rsftft I ftr rfrt cftft 1 eft rorr Rftft I ftr rw Rftcr I
Rft rwjr crftft I ftRftr fRRftsftfftfftftt 6 Riuft RRfft 7 I i^ 8 R^ftR

RRTR I ftt RftftrsftP]' ftRTR RTfTReRR: I ftft RRRft fftftRRRlftr ft

Rift' RR ^TRTlftftr Ift^ll

R RTftT WHR RTcRIRlft RRRIR: 1 I fftRft R§“ R ftf ftR |RV|| R
RT ftf TftHR 31 1 cRIR fts H sftftRRT R|R I 3TRR ft RRT I 3Tftf ft ft

RH RRfft R ftF ftR IftKlI

! I ftcf RT# RT^FTR 1 1

3TR f RTRRRRFT ft Rift RTft^ftftft R RRFRTRft R I Rftft ftftft
R^Rpftl R^R I ftfafR 1 ftpf R'RRIRft I RR f RIRRRftlRR-
gR'JRRfftft 1 1 ^ 1 1

ftftftfft ftRTR RTfRRRT: 1 I RRfftRRT 3TftRRFRTRRRTRfftr I fRT
ftsRRT RTRrtRRRT RRRlftfft I R 1 1

RT fttRTR ftftft R?T R ]ft RRT: RRT ftftft fftftR gftf RRRft RR
ftRPfmftn ftfft I ftfft ftRTR RTRRRRR: I RftfttRRRRRft fttfftft ciftR ft
ftfftft RTiR I SPJRcRRT RRlftftr fftftftfft lift!

RT fttRTR ftftft ftrft RRRTT RTF fftftr ftr cfftft I ftR RRRlftR
cftR ft Rftfft I ft 1 1

C\

R ftRTR RTfRFRR: fftTF ft 1 RRT ft RRft Reft fftRfRft I RR ftf
RRftcIRRIWRRfftr ft I oRTR^fFTFT ft fftftRTRRftcF I ft 1 1

R ftRIR 1 I TRft RR: RTRIR ftft ftftT RRRTFcRRRJ RRRIR ftft:
ftftf RRfft I R RT Sift RTRTft RTRIR RTRT ftRT RRRFRTRRJ RRRTR RTRT
ftRT RRfft I T RF 3ft cfRIRf RTRTR RRT: ftfRT RRRRTcRRRJ RTRIR JRT:
fftrr RRpft I R RT 3ft fftwr RRRTR ftft fttft RRRFTRTRKT RRRR fftft
fftft RRfft I R RT 3ft RgRt RTR1R RRR: ftlRT RRRRTRFRg' RTRIR R5TR'-
fftjT Rftfft I R RT 3ft R^IR: RTRTR R^T ftft RRWRTR?^ RRRfR R^T

126

Brhaduranyaka Upanisad

4.5.6

He is a Brahmin’s eternal greatness —

he’s not made greater or smaller by action.

It’s his trail that one should get to know;

And when a man knows him,

he’s no longer stained by bad deeds.

“A man who knows this, therefore, becomes calm, composed, cool, patient, and
collected. He sees the self ( atman ) in just himself ( atman ) and all things as the self.
Evil does not pass across him, and he passes across all evil. He is not burnt by evil;
he burns up all evil. He becomes a Brahmin — free from evil, free from stain, free
from doubt.

“He is the world of brahman, Your Majesty, and I have taken you to him.” So
said Yajnavalkya.

“Here, sir, I’ll give you the people of Videha together with myself to be your
slaves!”

24 Now, this is the immense and unborn self, the eater of food and the giver of
wealth. A man who knows this finds wealth. 25 And this is the immense and unborn-
self, unaging, undying, immortal, free from fear — the brahman. Brahman, surely, is
free from fear, and a man who knows this undoubtedly becomes brahman that is
free from fear.

5 Now, Yajnavalkya had two wives, Maitreyl and Katyayanl. Of the two,
Maitreyi was a woman who took part in theological discussions, while
Katyayanl’s understanding was limited to womanly matters. One day, as he was
preparing to undertake a different mode of life, 2 Yajnavalkya said: “Maitreyl, I am
about to go away from this place. So come, let me make a settlement between you
and Katyayanl.”

3 Maitreyl asked in reply: “If I were to possess the entire world filled with
wealth, sir, would it, or would it not, make me immortal?” “No,” said Yajnavalkya,
“it will only permit you to live the life of a wealthy person. Through wealth one
cannot expect immortality.”

4 “What is the point in getting something that will not make me immortal?” re-
torted Maitreyi. “Tell me instead, sir, all that you know.”

5 Yajnavalkya said in reply: “You have always been very dear to me, and now
you have made yourself even more so! Come, my lady, I will explain it to you. But
while I am explaining, try to concentrate.” 6 Then he spoke:

“One holds a husband dear, you see, not out of love for the husband; rather, it is
out of love for oneself {atman) that one holds a husband dear. One holds a wife dear
not out of love for the wife; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds a wife
dear. One holds children dear not out of love for the children; rather, it is out of love
for oneself that one holds children dear. One holds wealth dear not out of love for
wealth; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds wealth dear. One holds
livestock dear not out of love for livestock; rather, it is out of love for oneself that
one holds livestock dear. One holds the priestly power dear not out of love for the
priestly power; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds the priestly power

127

4 . 5.6

The Early Upanisads

fifcT vrerfcT i R Rf 3ft w c(5m|i| RRRTcRRFd RIRTR ?rt Rfr

RRfcT I R RT 3ft ei'lcbUi RdJ-jiR ctlcbi: f^RTF RRRRird d Rf RRRTR cRRR:

o

f^rr RRftr I r rt sK ^ftt ww ^rtf: fifar rrrtr ^rt:

f^TT RR% I R RT 3ft #RRT RRRW #3.T: f&^TT RRRRRRRjr RRRTR #RT:
ffclT RRf xT I R RT 3ft ffcTRT WT Rdlf# faq#T RRRRTTRRRT WT

rr#t fRnRr RRftr I r rt srt r^rt rrhtr R# f^t wircw

c\ o

RRRTR Rf fM' RRfcT I

3T1W RT 3ft* RRRR: RfRoifr RRTSTf f-lf<^: ttn:^ I 3RR#r

*s*Rft 5 fff RcT f^W ?f R# KRd# I KM

?KT cf qTTR^RRrFFfT §KT I $TR cf qTTR^RRcRT: ^TR I
c^RdRT Md^RlS'RRkRd] cttR^F^RT I 4RTRT Hd^Rls-RRlcddl cKiKr I
^wr >rafibiwRt ^rrIr 1 I RTnf# fr qrif^sRwiFfr RRTf^r I
r# $ to^t^rwr': R# I it r^r ^ft^r ctirr f# ^rt -ft rrt
fRTft - ^cTFftf R# RRRRTcRT llisll

g- RRT R RTWTR3^RT Rjsg RTj^W FT I iJ^R'

RT RRRT ^jftcT: M<i 1 1 R RRT RTfRI OTRRTRRT R RTWTReT-

mo^cR-iri^gunq i 5i^r f wRr sipflw rt ^Rr: I K M r' w

RIsDHmK R Rl W 5 ^ T 1 4fRT?f <# TIRRt cf|u|'|c(KR
RT 5I^f ^tcT: M ? o 1 1 *r RRTfmfRwflRRR 'JRRTRT rt

sftSRT RfRTf RRRT f^^RTR RcfRgi%Rf Rg^R : RTR^RKRRfftRTT ^fcT-

RTR: JTFT fell RmPKR: RTtRR: ^RFRJ°RR=RIRlf4 3RTRRTRr4tR fcFTT-

Rrt qrftcTRR r rtTrt err eftRT rrM" r ffcrrR I 3T^tcKR r##
fRy^diPf 3 1 1 ? ? 1 1 r - rrt eRrawff rrr rrrrrr I rr hW RTjffRr

I TTcf H^wf WFft Trft!'^ I^PPPT I <rf RTFTf 1%fcR-

qqrr 1 IR ^TFTf ^^t^FFFT I OR ?#Tf 3TRRt I

etR d^-cHRt RT | it# K^ltf 1 I

?#R ^4 u lt ^RtK^FRR I ?r4RRRRR7^R5q- q^irpHT I it# RT^tsit
KriWt qTRt^FRR I it# 2 qTR^WFPT I it# ^#5# dqHl'

RTRrTRW IIHII R W ^cty^lSRrRfSRfT: RpHI RRRT ^ I #4 R

128

Brhadaranyaka JJpanisad

4.5.13

dear. One holds the royal power dear not out of love for the royal power; rather, it is
out of love for oneself that one holds the royal power dear. One holds the worlds
dear not out of love for the worlds; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds
the worlds dear. One holds the gods dear not out of love for the gods; rather, it is
out of love for oneself that one holds the gods dear. One holds the Vedas dear not
out of love for the Vedas; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds the Ve-
das dear. One holds beings dear not out of love for beings; rather, it is out of love
for oneself that one holds beings dear. One holds the Whole dear not out of love for
the Whole; rather, it is out of love for oneself that one holds the Whole dear.

“You see, Maitreyl — it is one’s self ( atman ) which one should see and hear,
and on which one should reflect and concentrate. For when one has seen and heard
one’s self, when one has reflected and concentrated on one’s self, one knows this
whole world.

7 “May the priestly power forsake anyone who considers the priestly power to
reside in something other than his self {atman). May the royal power forsake any-
one who considers the royal power to reside in something other than his self. May
the worlds forsake anyone who considers the worlds to reside in something other
than his self. May the gods forsake anyone who considers the gods to reside in
something other than his self. May the Vedas forsake anyone who considers the
Vedas to reside in something other than his self. May beings forsake anyone who
considers beings to reside in something other than his self. May the Whole forsake
anyone who considers the Whole to reside in something other than his self.

“All these — the priestly power, the royal power, worlds, gods, beings, the
Whole — all that is nothing but this self.

8 “It is like this. When a drum is being beaten, you cannot catch the external
sounds; you catch them only by getting hold of the drum or the man beating it. 9 Or
when a conch is being blown, you cannot catch the external sounds; you catch them
only by getting hold of the conch or the man blowing it. 10 Or when a lute is being
played, you cannot catch the external sounds; you catch them only by getting hold
of the lute or the man playing it.

1 1 “It is like this. As clouds of smoke billow from a fire lit with damp fuel, so
indeed the Rgveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, the Atharva-Ahgirasa, histories, ancient
tales, sciences, hidden teachings ( upanisad ), verses, aphorisms, explanations,
glosses, sacrifices, oblations, offerings of food and drink, this world, the other
world, and all beings — all these are the exhalation of this Immense Being. And all
these are the inhalation of that very Being.

12 “It is like this. As the ocean is the point of convergence of all the waters, so
the skin is the point of convergence of all sensations of touch; the nostrils, of all
odors; the tongue, of all tastes; sight, of all visible appearances; hearing, of all
sounds; the mind, of all thoughts; the heart, of all sciences; the hands, of all activi-
ties; the sexual organ, of all pleasures; the anus, of all excretions; the feet, of all
travels; and speech, of all the Vedas.

13 “It is like this. As a mass of salt has no distinctive core and surface; the
whole thing is a single mass of flavor — so indeed, my dear, this self has no distinc-
tive core and surface; the whole thing is a single mass of cognition. It arises out of

129

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

4 . 6.3

and together with these beings and disappears after them — so I say, after death there
is no awareness.”

After Yajnavalkya said this, 14 MaitreyI exclaimed: “Now, sir, you have utterly
confused me! I cannot perceive this at all.” He replied:

“Look — I haven’t said anything confusing. This self, you see, is imperishable;
it has an indestructible nature. I S For when there is a duality of some kind, then the
one can see the other, the one can smell the other, the one can taste the other, the
one can greet the other, the one can hear the other, the one can think of the other,
the one can touch the other, and the one can perceive the other. When, however, the
Whole has become one’s very self (atman), then who is there for one to see and by
what means? Who is there for one to smell and by what means? Who is there for
one to taste and by what means? Who is there for one to greet and by what means?
Who is there for one to hear and by what means? Who is there for one to think of
and by what means? Who is there for one to touch and by what means? Who is
there for one to perceive and by what means?

“By what means can one perceive him by means of whom one perceives this
whole world?

“About this self {atman), one can only say ‘not — , not — .’ He is ungraspable,
for he cannot be grasped. He is undecaying, for he is not subject to decay. He has
nothing sticking to him, for he does not stick to anything. He is not bound; yet he
neither trembles in fear nor suffers injury.

“Look — by what means can one perceive the perceiver? There, I have given
you the instruction, MaitreyT. That’s all there is to immortality.”

After saying this, Yajnavalkya went away.

6 Now the lineage:

Pautimasya from Gaupavana; Gaupavana from Pautimasya; Pautimasya
from Gaupavana; Gaupavana from Kausika; Kausika from Kaundinya; Kaundinya
from Sandilya; Sandilya from Kausika and Gautama; Gautama 2 from Agnivesya;
Agnivesya from Gargya; Gargya from Gargya; Gargya from Gautama; Gautama
from Saitava; Saitava from Parasaryayana; Parasaryayana from Gargyayana;
Gargyayana from Uddalakayana; Uddalakayana from Jabalayana; Jabalayana from
Madhyandinayana; Madhyandinayana from Saukarayana; Saukarayana from
Kasayana; Kasayana from Sayakayana; Sayakayana from Kausikayani: Kausikayani
3 from Ghrtakausika; Ghrtakausika from Parasaryayana; Parasaryayana from
Parasarya; Parasarya from Jatukarnya; Jatukarnya from Asurayana and Yaska;
Asurayana from Traivani; Traivani from Aupajandhani; Aupajandhani from Asuri;
Asuri from Bharadvaja; Bharadvaja from Atreya; Atreya from Manti; Manti from
Gautama; Gautama from Gautama; Gautama from Vatsya; Vatsya from Sandilya;
Sandilya from Kaisorya Kapya; Kaisorya Kapya from Kumaraharita; Kumaraharita
from Galava; Galava from Vidarbhlkaundinya; Vidarbhlkaundinya from Vatsanapat
Babhrava; Vatsanapat Babhrava from Pathin Saubhara; Pathin Saubhara from
Ayasya Angirasa; Ayasya Angirasa from Abhuti Tvastra; Abhuti Tvastra from
Visvarupa Tvastra; Visvarupa Tvastra from the two Asvins; the two Asvins from
Dadhyanc Atharvana; Dadhyanc Atharvana from Atharvan Daiva; Atharvan Daiva

131

4 . 6.3

The Early Upanisads

f^wn^Rf I fagsq 1 ^'sf^TFr I sri^fT anwfwcT I

^Jcf I 3TWff tW 3Jc?fr: RT?#?T^7cT I TR^T: qTWFFT:
5TC3>Hlcl I qWFFT I : I ^Rf^rfrTsf^r: | oEff^T: fRTTt: I

5FTRT: WnTHRT I WTTcR": MW I FFPT: qwtf§5T: I qwM) sHRW: I sffT
I sT^FT MT: I R 1 1

1 1 ffcT W5T miWT 1 1

II ffrT II

q^fer qofwc^Rr ToftgrR%^ 1 1

C\ c\ c\

3^ 4r sr§r I t qrrw I ^ I ^fcr f wtf #wmwfrqw I
4444 g-r^rn i f4f : I 4t4r ^tRwwr 1 1 ? 1 1

II ^wirwrw II

w: qWRWT: SWMcfr f4crf4 sT^TW^Wf^W ITJWT 3T^T: | 3f4w

air^nf 4w ^rfMcf 4r wrrf4f?r I 4wfr tcT^Rgwq- ^ ?fcf I w?n%~

WI4 ffcf I oq^rrf^tfrr I ^WWifcT T srr^frf I 3TTf4fcT fKlW

oq^llRH'ild 1 1 ? 1 1

3pt ft wjwr 3?fMcr 4r wrrl^icr I 4«ft ^ ffcr I

swrftrwr^ ^fcr I winf^fcr 4rj: l ecttfcr =r anc^rfcr I sfrf^rfcr i^wtw
oq-fTTf^n^fcT 1 1 ^ 1 1

3fer twr^TT =4 wf^rT I ch4t ^ ^frT I

oqfTTfawn ffcT I fTf: I ^TS^rfcT T 3TTc4fcT I 3frfWr

^|cj|x| s^TT%^fcT I d^cT^tw 441 dWHcj^fci 6cHR)g4 ^ ? ^fcT I ^WW
3rr ?wMt I d4dw4 ^t^4- ^ft ii^ii

II 1% ft4t4 ^ww II

1 qTSf q^iqfd'MeS.^WT I u,d^ st$J I i^ddrl4d I d4dd % w^rt - ^wrf4frf I
w^wq^RTRT I aiftwwt wt3jf 4 ^r ?r 4^" I ^ w^wwwr I
w^ 2 w l l qjcr w# e4w zr

4^ II V I

II ffcT cpfFT dWFT II

132

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

5 . 3.1

from Mrtyu Pradhvamsana; Mrtyu Pradhvamsana from Pradhvamsana; Pradh-
vamsana from Eka Rsi; Eka Rsi from Vipracitti; Vipracitti from Vyasti; Vyasti from
Sanaru; Sanaru from Sanatana; Sanatana from Sanaga; Sanaga from Paramesthin;
Paramesthin from Brahman. Brahman is self-existent. Homage to Brahman!

ADHYAYA 5

I The world there is full;

The world here is full;

Fullness from fullness proceeds.

After taking fully from the full.

It still remains completely full.

“ Brahman is space. The primeval one is space. Space is windy.” This was what
the son of KauravyayanI used to say. This is the Veda. Brahmins know it. And by
this I know whatever one must know.

2 The three kinds of Prajapati ’s children— gods, humans, and demons — once
lived with their father Prajapati as vedic students. After they had completed
their studentship, the gods said to him: “Sir, say something to us.” So he told them
the syllable “Da,” and asked: “Did you understand?” They replied: “Yes, we under-
stood. You said to us, ‘Demonstrate restraint ( damyata)V " “Yes,” he said, “you
have understood.”

2 Then the humans said to him: “Sir, say something to us.” So he told them the
same syllable “Da,” and asked: “Did you understand?” They replied: “Yes, we un-
derstood. You said to us, ‘Demonstrate bounty ( datta)V ” “Yes,” he said, “you have
understood.”

3 Then the demons said to him: “Sir, say something to us.” So he told them the
same syllable “Da,” and asked: “Did you understand?” They replied: “Yes, we un-
derstood. You said to us, ‘Demonstrate compassion ( dayadhvam)V ” “Yes,” he said,
“you have understood.”

Thunder, that divine voice, repeats the very same syllable: “Da/ Da! Da !” —
Demonstrate restraint! Demonstrate bounty! Demonstrate compassion! One should
observe the same triad — restraint, bounty, and compassion.

3 Hrdayam, the heart — it is Prajapati; it is brahman ; it is the Whole. This word
hr.da.yam is made up of three syllables. Hr is one syllable. To a man who
knows this his own people, as well as others, bring gifts (hr-). Da is another sylla-
ble. To a man who knows this his own people, as well as others, give gifts (da-).
Yam is the third syllable. A man who knows this goes («-) to heaven.

133

5 . 4.1

The Early Upanisads

clt H#cf#H HRH I HrH#cT I H #T f# HfW !WW #R HW

f#H f^RTFlW 3HH# ^ M sT^rfrT I Hr#

l^TsT^r ll?ll

II #r ng # hiffth II

HPT ^flil HIH: I cTT HR": HrHH^SRT I Hr# sf^T I sTfT 9W-
qf#H I RHTHf##HF[ I # #H: HrH##lHTHcr 2 I cT#rRT | H

1T#H^TTH I ###3RWT I Hf#r#HlH^RH 4 I SPHHTH# 3T?ft Hr#
H^rfepH I H#H2^cfgHHrT: 5 Hr#T qf^#T HHTW#T H#rf I ###-
gTHHJH f|Hf#r ll?ll

rTHrTrHHFR# H Hlf#rH: I H RH TH# WI#

HRHH#H TH^Hf^srfcl f#b rfl I RT#HTHHf#TH I H

q^ffcT I #H## TWT: RcHT##T I R 1 1
H RH 3?TOW Hf#frT 1%H I Rc# f#RT q^#rT^THT I

gn ft# l fc # ## 3R#: I H### srfriw I # r#h# # ht^t
3T^t I HHfRf#Ha^f#cT I ff#T HFHT# HfTfcT 1RT## I R 1 1

#3# ^%#S^5WrTHT gf## f#R: I g# f#T Q^#rR^RH I HH ff#
^ I HFf # P#t 3P*T# | wf^fcT 1 srf#W I t afrP^ # ## mt | HHTf-
I ff#f qiwr# hi## h h r# iivii

II ft# 'RPH# HI^THH II

'nfm## TH#T HT:HHTH##THHT^# HHT #t%#f H#T HP I H RH
H#E#5TTH: H#HTrf#qfrr: H#f## 5RTTf#T ### fW 1 1 ? 1 1

II ffcT W ^TfFlH II

f#lp[ rjfil'^lg: I f#^THrf#^rf I f#3Tr## H I L H Hi H 13# #<T f#§#

^TfrT I f#gl5#T s^T 1 1 ? 1 1

II ft# HH# sTWT# M

HT# #H"HHF#rf I HHTT^JrHR: HTHT: ?HTfT^RT HHSHH# fprTW:

o o '

HTHTHTH I rH# #T HP# #TT HH#Ih 1#1' WRITHT H HHPPR R | fRTH#C
HHW: I HraiRHt f#cR~: I cTHH RTW HiHHT HHT HrH: 1 1? 1 1

<3

1 1 ffcT HH# HIHFTH 1 1

134

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

5.8.1

4 Clearly, that is itself, and that was just this, namely, the real ( satyam ) itself.

“Brahman is the real (satyam)" — a man who knows this immense and first-
born divine being in this manner conquers these worlds. “ Brahman is the real
(satyam)” — a man who knows this immense and firstborn divine being in this man-
ner, would he ever be conquered himself? For brahman is simply the real.

5 In the beginning only the waters were here. Those waters created the real
(satyam), the real created brahman, that is, Prajapati, and Prajapati created the
gods. The gods venerated only the real ( satyam ), which word is made up of three
syllables — sa, ti, and yam. Sa is one syllable, ti is another, and yam is the third. The
first and the last syllables constitute the real, while the middle syllable is the unreal.
So the unreal is trapped on both sides by the real and becomes completely united
with the real. The unreal does not injure a man who knows this.

2 Now, the real is the same as that sun up there. The person there within that orb
and the person here in the right eye are both based on each other. That one is based
on this one through the rays, while this one is based on that one through the vital
functions (prana ). So, when a man is about to die, he sees that orb in all its clarity,
and those rays do not confront him.

3 The word bhur (“earth”) is the head of the person there within that orb — there
is one head, and there is one syllable here. The word bhuvas (“intermediate region”)
is his arms — there are two arms, and there are two syllables here. The word svar
(=su.ar, “sky”) is his feet — there are two feet, and there are two syllables here. His
hidden name (upanisad) is ahar (“day”). A man who knows this strikes down
(hati-) and gets rid of (ha-) evil.

4 The word bhur (“earth”) is the head of the person here in the right eye — there
is one head, and there is one syllable here. The word bhuvas (“intermediate region”)
is his arms — there are two arms, and there are two syllables here. The word svar
(“sky”) is his feet — there are two feet, and there are two syllables here. His hidden
name (upanisad) is aham (“I”). A man who knows this strikes down (han-) and gets
rid of (ha-) evil.

6 This person here is made of mind and consists of light. Lodged here deep
within the heart, he is like a grain of rice or barley; he is the lord of all, the
ruler of all! Over this whole world, over all there is, he rules.

7 “Brahman is lightning,” they say. Lightning (vidyut) gets its name from cutting
(vidana). It cuts off (vidyati) from evil a man who knows that brahman is light-
ning. For brahman is simply lightning.

8 One should venerate speech as a cow. It has four teats — Svaha, Vasat, Hanta,
and Svadha. The gods live on two of those teats — Svaha and Vasat. Humans
live on Hanta, and the ancestors on Svadha. The bull of this cow is the breath, and
her calf is the mind.

135

5.9.1

The Early Upanisads

rIotOTT: OTlTP TOTf qiri/OTTd | ER^N" TTTT

TcrfcT ^fcT^Mter ^pftfcT I et ^r l tT# ^Ffrfcr 1 1 ? 1 1

1 1 TfcT TOT ETTFOTT 1 1

OT t" 3^5FTT^5l^fcf ET TTOTOT^fcT I ETE% ET ETT f^fftcT OTT
OTOTOT W{ I ElT ET 3SEfr 3Tsfcd4 I ET 3nf^EOTTOT£5fcr I ETE# ET EOT
fM^flfr OTT EOTTOTT EOT I cOT ET 3©f 3TOTTCT I ET TOTOTTFTOTfET I
ER^ ET EOT fM^tcT OTT EOT I cPT ET STOTTE^ I ET ETlOTTFP-

H^OT^RfBW I Erf^FOTETfcT 5TPgEft: ETTT: 1 1 ? 1 1

II ffcT TOT sTTOTOT II

q^lt TOT ETTT dOTI^dEd^c! I TOT t=T E5OT OTfcT T 4 f I q^f
TOT ETTt T 5TEPPOT F^ I TOT |p EETOTr otIcT T ^ ^ | 1^- ROT
ETTT T ^OTTPOTTOTfET I TOT f^T E5OT OTfcT T RF 4? ||?ll

II ffrT qOTTOT OTTHOT II

3T5T OTOTcf/ 3TIf : I EOT EOT I gpfcf TT OT^cT TOTET I 3FTT OTOTOT

OTf : I EOT EOT I fOTfcT t 9FT OTEtOTOT I q^T f c4t 4t?T q^OTOTT

^OT TOTETt TOTET: I EOTC ETIF TTEjOT ftcTOT I fET^tt ETTg"

<fqf f^qiWT OTTg" OT^ftfci'' I ET F ETTF Tlf^RT TT TT^F I TRE4T-

TftTOTOTT TOT TOTETT TOTcfticT I ERTT ET 41 fcl I SOT 4" f4~ I

3fi=r sftTif^ EOTtf^r TErrf^r f4prrf^r l l rott^ot I TFrfWfr e^ff&r

^ETrfr OT ^ 3 I ETcfff&T f c|T FfET-RdlPr f^OT^ET EOTTR TETff^T TOTT t qF

4f ll?ll

II ^icT gJOTT OTFFTT II

TOTT I RFTT FT OTOT I ROTt ET^TOTOTfcT I ETFTETT|OT-
f^kftEOTfrr I TOTOT ETPgOT EOTTPOTT OTfcT T OT 4 f 1 1 ? II

FJ: I ROTT f Tf: I RFT ffldlP ETfrf^T TETT^T JOTET I gOT^ FTE^
ddlRl RdlPl ^OTTRT TTTT: ETPIOT ETETtmt OTfrT T gT 1 1 ^ 1 1
ettt I srmt 4" ettt I otT' fOTft' Errff&r tett^t eotI^t I eot^t ot^ 1
Errtfar TEffl^r ^iOTOT OTOTI - EOT: EOTOT EOTOTTT OTfcT t qg - 4 t 1 1 3 1 1

C\ <3

136

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

5.13.3

9 The fire common to all men is the one within a person, the one through which
the food he eats is digested. It is the crackling of that fire that a man hears
when he presses his ears shut. When a man is about to die, he no longer hears that
noise.

1 D Now, a person, on departing from this world, arrives first at the wind. It
JL U opens a hole for him there as wide as a cartwheel. He goes up through that
and arrives at the sun. It opens a hole for him there as wide as a large drum. He goes
up through that and arrives at the moon. It opens a hole for him there as wide as a
small drum. He goes up through that and arrives in a world where there are no ex-
tremes of heat or cold. There he lives for years without end.

n To suffer from a sickness is surely the highest austerity. And a man who
knows this wins the highest world. To be taken to the wilderness when one
is dead is surely the highest austerity. And a man who knows this wins the highest
world. To be placed on the fire when one is dead is surely the highest austerity. And
a man who knows this wins the highest world.

'1 O “Brahman is food,” some say. But that is not so, because food spoils in the
X ■*— absence of lifebreath (prana). Others say, “ Brahman is lifebreath.” But that
is not so, because lifebreath withers in the absence of food. It is only when these
two deities have come together as one that they reach preeminence. It was in this
connection that Pratrda asked his father: “What good, or even what bad thing, could
I do for a person who knows this?” Gesturing with his hand, the father replied:
“Stop, Pratrda! Who will ever reach preeminence by bringing these two together in
himself?” He then said to Pratrda - “Vi, Ram." Now, vi is food, for all these beings
are contained (vis-) in food, and ram is the lifebreath, for all these beings rejoice
(ram-) in the lifebreath. When a man knows this — all beings are contained in him,
all beings rejoice in him.

"I O Uktha. The uktha (“ Rgvedic hymn”), clearly, is breath, for breath raises up
X vJ (uttha-) this whole world. When a man knows this — from him rises (uttha-)
a son who knows the uktha, and he becomes one with and attains the same world as
the uktha.

2 Yajus. The yajus (“Yajurvedic formula”), clearly, is breath, for all these be-
ings are joined together (yuj-) in breath. When a man knows this — all beings join
(yuj-) themselves to him to procure supremacy for him, and he becomes one with
and attains the same world as the yajus.

2 Saman. The saman (“Samavedic chant”), clearly, is breath, for all these beings
are united (samyanc) in breath. When a man knows this — all beings unite them-
selves to him to procure supremacy for him, and he becomes one with and attains
the same world as the saman.

137

5 . 13.4

The Early Upanisads

?Rrq i awr t l apfr ft t I qrafr ft aw: ?M: sr
^rRT^Tratft 1 w qrgqq ^rst^crf ^afcr q qt llvu

1 1 qqtqqr st^iw 1 1

^xwi^rcrfar 1 l wr^it j tw# q^qq I q^

itcRt; I q fW* qpR§; srcft crnswr qqtt at

II ? II

w^r HFnitcWT^T^ I wi^t f m q^t qrait qqrr l
t^cif t^iw 1 q^Tcf I q q^cM qtft f^rr cttsts: qqfcr qrsqrr q^tt q^-
ifq llqll

ajaftsqTqr °qTT ffWT^R#T I SP^t f 3T q/t qR# qqq I
I^tw q^Tcf I q AiNit4 qrft cTRqqg: ^raftr ^trs^rr q^q qq l striftt
q^- gfrt qsfct qt q irq- | zjf 'rl'gftw | c^fct

qcjftfci ^5T fq #r: I qqtqqrr q% ^qfqft cnrftr l qt

thr f%RTr wr ?nfcr qtsqrr q?r^ qq ^r 1 1 3 1 1

tqr qrq^ciftfqg^ qsfeT at qqfqqftr qftfeerr I eft cRq^r aftr-
fSscqq 1 I xngf qrqq; I q^gf? t qqrq I cTFrraf^pft it f^qFn^rr-
cnqiq^tnr 2 3TFq##rftT q rrq |RTqqqq#^rfcr c iw qj q^zqq I
dfr ciwfcr afti^sqq I amt t qqjq I cRaFT afciffecrq I d^Kigtc?'
qdmqrtfq ^feT I q^rr qrq^rwFt afcrfeqr I m fqr wqRT i stmt
t W: I ddlFlTwt I d^sRRd^ dW^RFfr Rq I q aMdi'-t qftft-
H-di^q 7 m I q w 3TRrq rrqr qiwfqrrqt I ivil

eft ^dl^t’ 1 d&RHdst d $fd I T eFTT

-O -O O O O -O C\

cgqfq I *\ q-Jm~- qifMq^qiq I alt w ar 3qM%^%q 3 aftqjjfqfcr q
fq cf^iqw q,=MH qq aft I IM I

q q $ h k4T $1 aa r u it-a fet a i datsqrr qcRaqq qqqiaqid' I qq
qiqcflq a4t ferr q w iqcafei^qidqrsqrr ftcftq qqqiwcr I qq

138

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

5.14.6

* Ksatra. The ksatra (“ruling power”), clearly, is breath; for the ksatra is, with-
out question, breath, because breath protects ( tra -) one from injury (ksanilu). When
a man knows this — he obtains power ( ksatra ) that needs no protection (atra), and he
becomes one with and attains the same world as the ksatra.

M There are eight syllables in bhu.mi (“earth”), an.ta.ri.ksa (“intermediate
region”), and dy.au (= di.au; “sky”). Now, the first foot of the Gayatri verse
also consists of eight syllables, so this foot of the Gayatri is the same as those. A
man who knows this foot of the Gayatri in this way wins a territory extending as far
as these three worlds.

2 There are eight syllables in r.cah (“Rgvedic verses”), ya.jum.si (“Yajurvedic
formulas”), and sd.ma.ni (“Samavedic chants”). Now, the second foot of the Gayatri
verse also consists of eight syllables; so this foot of the Gayatri is the same as those.
A man who knows this foot of the Gayatri in this way wins a territory extending as
far as this triple Veda.

3 There are eight syllables in pra.na (“out-breath”), a.pa.na (“in-breath”), and
vy.a.na (= vi.a.na, “inter-breath”). Now, the third foot of the Gayatri verse also con-
sists of eight syllables; so this foot of the Gayatri is the same as those. A man who
knows this foot of the Gayatri in this way wins a territory extending as far as there
are living beings.

Then there is that fourth (turiya) vivid foot of the Gayatri, which is none other
than the sun blazing beyond the sky. The term turiya means the same thing as
“fourth” ( caturtha ). “Vivid foot” — for the sun is in some way visible. “Beyond the
sky” — for the sun blazes far beyond the entire expanse of the sky. A man who
knows this foot of the Gayatri in this way will likewise blaze with splendor and
fame.

4 The Gayatri verse is based on that fourth and vivid foot beyond the sky. That
foot, in its turn, is based on truth. Now, truth is sight. For, truth is without question
sight, and because of that if two people come here now arguing with each other, the
one saying, “I saw” and the other saying, “I heard,” the one we would trust is the
man who says that he saw. Truth, in its turn, is based on strength. Strength, clearly,
is breath and is based on breath. Therefore, people say that strength is more power-
ful than truth. In this way the Gayatri is based on what is within the body (at man).
So the Gayatri protects (tra-) one’s wealth (gay a). Clearly, one’s wealth is one’s
breaths; so it protects the breaths. It got the name “Gayatri” because it protects
(tra-) one’s wealth (gaya). And it is the same as the Savitri that one recites. When
one recites it on behalf of someone, it protects that person's breaths.

5 Now, there are some who recite this Savitri as an Anustubh verse, and they
argue: “This way what we recite is speech, because the Anustubh is speech.” But
one should not do so. One should recite the Savitri only as a Gayatri verse.

Even if a man who knows this receives a large gift of some sort, it would not
equal even a single foot of the Gayatri. 6 If someone were to receive a gift of these
three worlds filled to capacity, he would have obtained its first foot. If someone
were to receive a gift as extensive as the triple Veda, he would have obtained its

139

5 . 14.6

The Early Upanisads

dl'dRd RTf^r ^cTT^cfl -M W1MT I 3FTTFTT TT^cr

#cf qt qqtW T ITT ?fqfrT % ^TERRT^ I TJ ITcTlTcSrfcr-
g^tw IKII

FFTT TqFTFFT I TTT?T^T?^T4t ftqifT f^FT^T T^/GCf^ | 3Tqg%- T ft
qrrr I qrnFcT Tj#qw Tsfcrnr qrrr qftrq# I srar^r tit qrqf^fcT I t
^Trfr ft qrj^tfcr 1 err i t f egwf fit
TTFgq%^ I srfq^: qrqfirfcr m I kl I

tT^qg: t - 'cTwq^r gf^Fnwd^gwrq m fr cT^qq^f^w: I
•3FT c£W TpfffcT I g# f]W: TTW1W =T f^iWI^c T f^TT !

ciW pr I aft W TT srf^T •sli^onniduiKiy^ ?T^cr d^K^frl I

trf qpt W&FT cTcSTWT ^ g^RtSTJcT:

q-qq% Ik 1 1

II ffcT ^q^T ?pw II

'f^qrokrq- qrr^trr qcqwii^flF 5^ I
mt gqwfg" II

w qMm<n ^ 1

zrtr ¥t cb^iuidq - crfr q^nft" tTs-hm^' grr: qftfqf^r 1 1

qig^Pleiqgdq^q qFTRT QI>ClTT I

■35 9bcTf FIT fcf 6H< s6dl FIT ^ cl FIT 1 1

140

Brhadaranyaka JJpanisad

5.15.1

second foot. And if someone were to receive a gift extending as far as there are liv-
ing beings, he would have obtained its third foot. Then there is that fourth vivid foot
of the Gayatri, which is none other than the sun blazing beyond the sky. And no one
can obtain that. From where indeed can one receive a gift as extensive as that? 7 This
is the worship of Gayatri:

You are one-footed, Gayatri! You are two-footed!

You are three-footed! You are four-footed!

You are without feet! For you do not walk!

Homage to your fourth foot,
to your vivid foot,
beyond the sky!

When someone worships in this way, he may direct it against someone he hates,
saying: “May so-and-so not obtain that!” or “May the desire of so-and-so not come
to pass” — and the desire of the man, against whom he directed his worship, will not
come to pass. Or he may say: “May I obtain that!”

8 In this connection, Janaka, the king of Videha, once said to Budila Asva-
tarasvi: “Hey! Did you not claim to know the Gayatri? So how is it that you have
turned yourself into an elephant that is dragging loads?” He replied: “But I did not
know its mouth, Your Majesty.” Its mouth is just the fire. So however much one
may put into a fire, it burns up all of that. Likewise, however many bad things a
man who knows this may do, he eats up all of that and emerges clean and pure, free
from aging and death.

The face of truth is covered
with a golden dish.

Open it, O Pusan, for me,

a man faithful to the truth.
Open it, O Pusan, for me to see.

0 Pusan, sole seer!

Yama! Sun! Son of Prajapati!
Spread out your rays!

Draw in your light!

1 see your fairest form.

That person up there,

I am he!

The never-resting is the wind,
the immortal!

Ashes are this body’s lot.

OM!

Mind, remember the deed!
Remember!

Mind, remember the deed!
Remember!

141

5.15.1

The Early Upanisads

STfT TO 3Rq lPq>qiPl q^qifq f%{j"Fr |

q7fr^fFi^rLi u ii)-Tr ^rw cT toi^ f^nr 1 1 ? 1 1

1 1 ?fcT qTOTO tohto 1 1

!i ^fcr qrom-sTOra - : n

qt 1 w t xr xr %ror tott crater I tot t ^r-

TO I T^T ^5^ TO-TT TOTOft" xr fTOfcT TO ^ 1 1 ? 1 1

qt f t q%TO ^ qf?TO ^Flt TOfeT I TOt qf^TO | sifts': TOTT
tott^ xr 3rr topIct 1 q - to 1 1 ^ 1 1

O C\ »

qt f % RfcTW ^ aferfeT^r TOT HfMcPSSfcT |3f | qigf gfclW I
^TT % TOT xT xr gferf^nssfeT I vfafcW.c TT% qfMcTOfcT g*f q - ^
^ IRII

3TT f t- TO t«r # fR^ qTOt *t TOT TOTOcT I 'SH t TOT I ^ftt

ft# ?rf ^r 3ifiTTOrr: I # fT^ qrot tr to - totoI' I |v| I

qt f err arrot ^toto tort tototot totot I to to tort-

TO I TOTOT TOTTO TOTOTOTOt TORT qr ^ I IMI

qt w t' to tRt TOirot f 1 toto q^rftr: I trot t - TOTfer; I totocT

f toft q^riM q/t ^ ii^ii

tr t^r qwr TO^rot ferrorTOT to TOgi l errot^: 1 tot qt qftrro ?fcr l
cie.ilqiq qf^-iTO totofto to $i'0< qi41q"'i q^cT tt qt qfq^ fftr I k? 1 1
totoitoto I to totor - rTOtoTOt totototot ^iftf^Wrr l

rT ffj: TO TOTOT 1 3-TOHil TOT TORT: TOR qTOTORgTO ^TTOTO: ssfttor
ttjtrat totto toitoht ^#TO5ftT%^frT I qfq3$i f TOTO I k 1 1

TOptTOTOPT I TORTOR sJl 1 ■* I c^Ti <=) I^T TOqR5TTOcT ‘q^cT 5frf%gf^rfcr I
tT ftr; qron arqrorraTO 1 ’ qror; aFtq - qror tot ; q^r'

f%TOT TOT1T RTOTTOT ^c#TO^ft1^Fr% I q^TT' % '^: I K 1 1

142

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6.1.9

O Fire, you know all coverings;

O god, lead us to riches,
along an easy path.

Keep the sin that angers
far away from us;

And the highest song of praise
we shall offer to you!

ADHYAYA 6

I When a man knows the best and the greatest, he becomes the best and the
greatest among his own people. The best and the greatest is breath. When a
man knows this, he becomes the best and the greatest among his own people and, if
he so desires, even among others.

2 When a man knows the most excellent, he becomes the most excellent among
his people. The most excellent is speech. When a man knows this, he becomes the
most excellent among his own people and, if he so desires, even among others.

3 When a man knows the firm base, he stands firm both on flat land and on rug-
ged terrain. The firm base is sight, for on flat land, as on rugged terrain, one stands
firm by means of sight. When a man knows this, he stands firm both on flat land
and on rugged terrain.

4 When a man knows the correspondence ( sarnpad ), whatever he desires is ful-
filled ( sampad -) for him. Correspondence (sampad) is hearing, for all these Vedas
congregate {sampad-) in one’s hearing. When a man knows this, whatever he de-
sires is fulfilled for him.

5 When a man knows the refuge, he becomes a refuge for his people and a ref-
uge for the common folk. The refuge is the mind. When a man knows this, he
becomes a refuge for his people and a refuge for the common folk.

6 When a man knows fecundity, he becomes fecund in offspring and in live-
stock. Fecundity is the semen. When a man knows this, he becomes fecund in
offspring and in livestock.

7 Once these vital functions (prana ) were arguing about who among them was
the greatest. So they went to brahman and asked: “Who is the most excellent of
us?” He replied: “The one, after whose departure you consider the body to be the
worst off, is the most excellent among you.”

8 So speech departed. After spending a year away, it came back and asked:
“How did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as the dumb
would, without speaking with speech, but breathing with the breath, seeing with the
eye, hearing with the ear, thinking with the mind, and fathering with semen.” So
speech reentered.

9 Then sight departed. After spending a year away, it came back and asked:
“How did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as the blind
would, without seeing with the eye, but breathing with the breath, speaking with
speech, hearing with the ear, thinking with the mind, and fathering with semen.” So
sight reentered.

143

6 . 1.10

The Early JJpanisads

5 $ftT ?)tiWr I rR^fWrFR yi^Nlc^lclN v

rt ftf : W ^RJ s^p^rf: #%rrr spiRT: jptT WTT

IIBKIVD

W ?MW

ct fRj: W ikT

w w apr

I cWa 1 1 ? ^ I

^ ?raicf^#fcT

^cf: I WTT %

sq-WT 3 TT ^w«r

sper rfT rtw

^fcr aw

I ^ U ^ W M-

r f^frr I aftfltfcr ftwr n?n

t^r EpPTT: sw: 5RWT f^rfcTTSFcTT^ ffcT I ^tcT ^tWT I ^t'

r 2 i fcfrwr I wrat nr 3 f%: w

^r 2 | ^r f^twr I 3wr‘ #wipt IcTiwtn-:

Brhadaranyaka JJpanisad

6.2.2

l°Then hearing departed. After spending a year away, it came back and asked:
“How did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as the deaf
would, without hearing with the ear, but breathing with the breath, speaking with
speech, seeing with the eye, thinking with the mind, and fathering with semen.” So
hearing reentered.

11 Then the mind departed. After spending a year away, it came back and asked:
“How did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as simpletons
would, without thinking with the mind, but breathing with the breath, speaking with
speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, and fathering with semen.” So the
mind reentered.

1 2 Then the semen departed. After spending a year away, it came back and
asked: “How did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as the
impotent would, without fathering with semen, but breathing with the breath,
speaking with speech, seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, and thinking with
the mind.” So the semen reentered.

13 Then, as the breath was about to depart, it uprooted those vital functions
(prana), as a mighty Indus horse would uproot the stakes to which it is tethered.
They implored: “Lord, please do not depart! We will not be able to live without
you.” He told them: “If that’s so, offer a tribute to me.” “We will,” they replied.

14 So speech declared: “As I am the most excellent, so you will be the most ex-
cellent.” Sight declared: “As I am the firm base, so you will be the firm base.”
Hearing declared: “As I am correspondence, so you will be correspondence.” The
mind declared: “As I am the refuge, so you will be the refuge.” The semen declared:
“As I am fecundity, so you will be fecundity.”

Breath then asked: “What will be my food and my clothing?”

“Everything that is here is your food, right down to dogs, worms, insects, and
flies, and water is your clothing.”

When a man knows in this way that breath (ana) is food (anna )— nothing he
eats becomes an improper food, nothing he accepts becomes an improper food.
Therefore, wise and learned people sip some water both when they are preparing to
eat and after they have eaten, thinking that they are thus making sure that breath
(ana) is not left naked (anagna).

2 Svetaketu, the son of Aruni, came one day into the assembly of the land of
Pancala and approached Jaivali Pravahana while people were waiting upon
him. Seeing Svetaketu, he said: “Son!” Svetaketu replied: “Sir?” Jaivali asked: “Did
your father teach you?” Svetaketu replied: “Yes.”

2 “Do you know how people, when they die, go by different paths?”

“No,” he replied.

“Do you know how they return to this world?”

“No,” he replied.

“Do you know how the world beyond is not filled up, even as more and more
people continuously go there?”

“No,” he replied.

145

6 . 2.2

The Early Upanisads

i-cTl RRU RgRTTR RRRftl ffrT I tft | RfRfR I tcRf tWd-SR RT
RR: RftRR ft^rRRRT RT RdfRR t^RTR RT RRTR fRfJRRT err I

Rft ft - r rrr I

t gcfr 3^prt ft^RIRR tRRIRR RdqfRTR I
cTTKTTftt ftRtRRRTfcT RRRRT ftcft Reft tfeT II

RTfRR U.tdd ttfeT iffRR 1 1^1 1

R^R RRRTtWWR^ I RRIcTcR craft RRRT: H|RTR I R RTRRTR
ftcRR I R ftRTR fft RR ftcR % WRra^ftRRtfR 2 ffcT I RR gtR
|ft I w rt rrir RRRR^pR^fTR I crar ttRR t^ft 3 I RRt r
?ft I RR ?ft R sttRRgRMITT 1 131 1

R RRTR RRT RRR did RpftRT RRT RRR ftR tR d^d^ dd*Rd-
RfRR I 3ft (J RR HcftRT sfRTRt RRRTR fft I RRFlR RRSftlft I R

rtrrtr trarar rr ^rw ^r^rr I rftt RraRRTfRtRcR-
WRrNrtr: 1 I rr fw arsff rrrt l r ffraxr Rt wmf RfRRiR 3 rt
fft 11*11

R pTM ftfcTfricfr R tTR RT: I ¥ J S^RRRTFcT RTRRRPTRfRTT t

R^rtt i ih,i i

c\

R ftRTR t ttcTR RStj I RFHW gftfcT I K 1 1
R ftRTR ftRTRrT frft T ftRRRRRR RlRRlRT RRftRT RRTRRT
qitRRRT 3 I RT dt RRIRRlRRRTRRRtRRRRRgT^ ^ftfcT I R t tfRR
tttRRRT $fd I ttraR RRRftft I RTRT R Rid eft RTRftr I R
RfRTRRcff) cRfd'fR 4 I |V9 1 1

R RlRTR RRT •TRR did d RTRRRRRR R FtdTRRT R^R fttHR dt R
RftRRTR RfRTR RRTR I RT cRR OT RSRlft I dt ft #f dd-R differ
yedl'RRldfdfel ll^ll

o

3Rfr t RRtstrafRR I cRRfftrR ^ yp^ddl gRtSftt
RRFcftttt ftddfei^-l: I dfdd?ldf6d?lifl ffdl: RRT ^fel I RRfT RTITRf
RtRT RRT RRRfrT I K 1 1

cftrat RT 3#tfRR I RRT RRRfT RR RftRRfft RRT

146

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6.2.10

“Do you know the oblation at whose offering the water, taking on a human
voice, rises up and speaks?”

“No,” he replied.

“Do you know the access to the path to the gods or the path to the fathers — that
is, what one must do to get on the path to the gods or on the path to the fathers? For
have you not heard the seer’s words? —

Two paths mortals have, I’ve heard:
the paths to fathers and to gods.

By these travel all that live
between the earth and sky.

“I don’t know the answer to any of these,” he replied.

3 Then Jaivali invited him to stay. Disregarding the invitation, the boy ran off.
He went back to his father and said: “Well, well! And to think that you once told me
I was well educated!”

“What’s the matter, my clever boy?”

“That excuse for a prince asked me five questions, and I didn’t know the an-
swer to a single one of them.”

“What were they?”

“These,” he said and repeated them briefly.

4 The father replied: “You know me, son. I have taught you everything I know.
Come, let us both go there and live as students.”

“You, sir, can go on your own.”

Gautama then came to Pravahana Jaivali’s place. Jaivali gave him a seat and
had some water brought for him. Then he presented him with the refreshments due
to an honored guest and said: “We will grant a wish to the Reverend Gautama.”

5 Gautama said in reply: “Now that you have promised to grant me a wish, tell
me what you told my boy.”

6 “But that, Gautama, is in the category of divine wishes,” responded Jaivali.
“Why don’t you make a wish of a human sort?”

7 Gautama replied: “As you know, I have my share of gold, cows, horses, slave
girls, blankets, and clothes. Do not be stingy, your honor, in giving me more than
that — in giving me the infinite and the boundless.”

“Then, Gautama, you will have to request it in the correct manner.”

“I come to you, my lord, as a pupil.”

With just these words did the people of old place themselves as pupils under a
teacher. And Gautama lived there openly as a pupil. 8 Jaivali then told him:

“As before now this knowledge has not resided in any Brahmin, so may you,
Gautama, or your grandfathers not cause us harm. But I will tell it to you, for who
can refuse you when you speak like that.

9 “A fire — that’s what the world up there is, Gautama. Its firewood is the sun;
its smoke is the sunbeams; its flame is the day; its embers are the quarters; and its
sparks are the intermediate quarters. In that very fire gods offer faith, and from that
offering springs King Soma.

10 “A fire — that’s what a rain cloud is, Gautama. Its firewood is the year; its
smoke is the thunderclouds; its flame is lightning; its embers are thunder; and its

147

The Early Upanisads

n ! uf^rc#ro# ^ro: ?tito wro

fflcT I crwr 3TT|^ 2 ffe *TWfcT 1 1 ? o 1 1

3ro f c^stMcPr I w arfin

^if^r f^PgfefT: I clf^c!#R^ ^TO f^fcT I cW 3TT§W m

WilcT 1 1 ? ? II

jwr to I w TOrrorcr ?rf£r?r tott ^ror

f^Fgf^r: I crf^r?R#^# ^ro w filter l cfw ■ro|rct l

wrier unit

qtro to arfMfcPT I toto totft tot ^almPr emt ^nd^r^w:

dTO^feT I ?T

tot w fwr lin

TO 3 # TOTTOTOTO WTOT Ill's’ll
cT =T xdifr 3TOTO TOTO

qTeT TOTiW

TOTO I cT cTj sT^IcStW TOT: TOTW

tot $ qfr

W TOdTO: N^W I
TOT I cf TOTO TOTO5T TOTfTO ! cTOcTT ITO W TOT OTtW-

Rtc^#fRW TO^rorf^r l dro w w^t^roTwwf^r--
Pnwfr TOrroTTOTOj TOfrff^ f^r: 'jf^fTO I cf gfMf tow Trf^r I ef
r gwr w TOn# totoTO I ■q^rog -

TOT T ^ TOTO# T i^gTT ^fer: TOf^T Tf^t W^W 1 1 ? ^ 1 1
1 1 ?fcr feft TO ww 1 1

nroiTOTO~ totTO to -H^er

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6.3.1

sparks are hail. In that very fire gods offer King Soma, and from that offering
springs rain.

1 1 “A fire — that’s what this world down here is, Gautama. Its firewood is the
earth; its smoke is the fire; its flame is the night; its embers are the moon; and its
sparks are the constellations. In that very fire gods offer rain, and from that offering
springs food.

12 “A fire — that’s what a man is, Gautama. His firewood is the open mouth; his
smoke is breath; his flame is speech; his embers are sight; and his sparks are hear-
ing. In that very fire gods offer food, and from that offering springs semen.

1 3 “A fire — that’s what a woman is, Gautama. Her firewood is the vulva; her
smoke is the pubic hair; her flame is the vagina; when one penetrates her, that is her
embers; and her sparks are the climax. In that very fire gods offer semen, and from
that offering springs a man.

“He remains alive for as long as he lives, and when he finally dies, l 4 they offer
him in the fire. Of that fire, the fire is the fire itself; the firewood is the firewood;
the smoke is the smoke; the flame is the flame; the embers are the embers; and the
sparks are the sparks. In that very fire gods offer man, and from that offering
springs a man of brilliant color.

1 5 “The people who know this, and the people there in the wilderness who ven-
erate truth as faith — they pass into the flame, from the flame into the day, from the
day into the fortnight of the waxing moon, from the fortnight of the waxing moon
into the six months when the sun moves north, from these months into the world of
the gods, from the world of the gods into the sun, and from the sun into the region
of lightning. A person consisting of mind comes to the regions of lightning and
leads him to the worlds of brahman. These exalted people live in those worlds of
brahman for the longest time. They do not return.

16 “The people who win heavenly worlds, on the other hand, by offering sacri-
fices, by giving gifts, and by performing austerities — they pass into the smoke, from
the smoke into the night, from the night into the fortnight of the waning moon, from
the fortnight of the waning moon into the six months when the sun moves south,
from these months into the world of the fathers, and from the world of the fathers
into the moon. Reaching the moon they become food. There, the gods feed on them,
as they tell King Soma, the moon; ‘Increase! Decrease!’ When that ends, they pass
into this very sky, from the sky into the wind, from the wind into the rain, and from
the rain into the earth. Reaching the earth, they become food. They are again offered
in the fire of man and then take birth in the fire of woman. Rising up once again to
the heavenly worlds, they circle around in the same way.

“Those who do not know these two paths, however, become worms, insects, or
snakes.”

3 “I want to attain greatness” — when a man entertains such a wish, he should do

the following. To begin with he should perform the preparatory rites for twelve

days. Then, on an auspicious day falling within a fortnight of the waxing moon
during the northern movement of the sun, he should collect every type of herb and
fruit in a fig-wood dish or a metal bowl. After sweeping around the place of the

149

6 . 3.1

The Early Upanisads

WtfcT I

xO

EIMtTI Yw?^rfY WT^iYdY^Y) $1nT RW'Rl' cbldM I

O x

Ywftsg WT#Y fgtfY ^ TTT ^TTT: Yf: 4 cfJT%ffcFg~ f^T 1 1

EfT fcRSlfr fYwfr ffcT I

err w feRET enw efY yYmYldl II? II

wgr Ywet wtwfr gw ^ #grdwwfcr I ptw ^ I

clRwrY wtwft gW TRY ^c|^cHi|fc|- I crpY I

afcrwY wtwfr gw *fY ;Ywwwfcr I wgr I

^ WlY*!# gW *fY y^ciHcHElfrl I YlWT Wgr I
3TTi|dHN W^# gW ^mWEffcT I I

SWcY wtwY gW WY -H^ciHclHErfcl' I YefY WgT I
gWTTgW JgY yydHe|Hi|fr|- I R II

wtwYT gW WY WrWWRfYr I <HlH|E| WjM*Y |W WY
I *[: wtwY gw wY WWTWEffcT I g=T: WtWffT gW
wY ^YrwwEffrT I w w|w^r gw ^fY wwwwfcr I gYN~: w
wYwfr gw wY Ywwwfcr I ^grY wiwYr gw wY wwr-
cH El feT I w wtwfr gw wY YwWwfcT I gWT W^W# gW

150

Brhadaranyaka JJpanisad

6.3.3

sacred fire and smearing it with cow dung, he should kindle the fire, spread the sac-
rificial grass, prepare the ghee according to the usual procedure, make the mixture
under a male constellation, and pour an offering of ghee into the fire, saying:

Those stumbling blocks within you, O Fire,

The gods who frustrate man’s desires;

I offer a share to them!

May they be satisfied!

May they satisfy my every desire!

Svaha!

And she who lies there as a stumbling block,
thinking, ‘I arrange everything!’

You are a true conciliator!

I offer streams of ghee to you!

Svaha!”

2 He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the best, svaha! To the
greatest, svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. [What is meant here is:]
“To the breath, svaha!”

He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the most excellent,
svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. [What is meant here is:] “To
speech, svaha!”

He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the firm base, svaha!” and
pours the remainder into the mixture. [What is meant here is:] “To sight, svaha!”

He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To correspondence, svaha!”
and pours the remainder into the mixture. [What is meant here is:] “To hearing,
svaha!”

He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the refuge, svaha!” and
pours the remainder into the mixture. [What is meant here is:] “To the mind,
svaha!”

He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To fecundity, svaha!” and
pours the remainder into the mixture. [What is meant here is:] “To semen, svaha!”

In this way, every time he makes an offering of ghee in the fire he pours the
remainder into the mixture.

3 He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the fire, svaha!” and
pours the remainder into the mixture. He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, say-
ing: “To Soma, svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. He makes an of-
fering of ghee in the fire, saying: “Earth! Svaha!” and pours the remainder into the
mixture. He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “Intermediate region!
Svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. He makes an offering of ghee in
the fire, saying: “Sky! Svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. He makes
an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “Earth! Intermediate region! Sky! Svaha!”
and pours the remainder into the mixture. He makes an offering of ghee in the fire,
saying: “To priestly power, svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. He
makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To royal power, svaha!” and pours
the remainder into the mixture. He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying:

151

1

wisMifi w$r #RWFwfcr l wiiMifl |w ?r^r fcr-

i^^rfrT I a^TTcU' ^t^ral" gRTT WWT# lull

3#T^g5Tfcr wdV I 5^% I qMr I I 13^^% I

ftf?TR% I I ^?TTr^r 1 I I mi-

s snf^#r I 3nf '<3 %tr% I fcnrcffr I w*nft - r I I ^fifeR^r l

C\ c\

f^FP#r I ?rwf5?ftfcr nvii

3#q'JH ■% x^-^T^Tif'fl - cT TT% ] I R % IHlS%qfrT: I 5T ^ff 2 TRf-

^ 1 1 h 1 i>f^i M fcl cb^frcffcT 1 1 ^ 1 1

sf^nrrsrnrfci I

rR^rf^TJT I

•O -X

W WT ^RTTSRr W SRf^T f&m: I
RTSftf: ?R#TE|t: II W. f^TfT I

vpif sffaft" I

HTh^'dlTO't ^fTRTlf^ IW. I
JTf T: f^cTT 1 1 ^pT: RTF^T I

ftnrr *fr t: a-^w 1 1

TTfJTrat ^TFfiM^TT^ I
WfWNfr T: 1 1 RT: I

e# xr ?r# ^rrer ^h|r: w.

RrrtfcT I 3TRRT an^TRT aFfr 2 a^RRT Hlfel'CT. ?rf%fcr I RTcf-

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6 . 3.9

“To what has been, svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. He makes an
offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To what will be, svaha!” and pours the remain-
der into the mixture. He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the All,
svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture. He makes an offering of ghee in
the fire, saying: “To the Whole, svaha!” and pours the remainder into the mixture.
He makes an offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “To Prajapati, svaha!” and pours
the remainder into the mixture.

4 Then he touches the mixture, saying: “You are the fluttering! You are the
glittering! You are the full! You are the steady! You are the only meeting place!
You are the chanted him, and you are the chanting of him. You are the chanted
High Chant and you are chanting of the High Chant. You are one priest’s call for
the gods to hear, and you are the other priest’s assent that the gods should hear. You
are the flash in the cloud. You are the mighty. You are the lord. You are food. You
are the light. You are the end. You are the gatherer.”

5 Then he lifts up the mixture, saying: “You are power; your power is in me.
For he is king, lord, and ruler! May he make me king, lord, and ruler!”

6 Then he sips the mixture, saying:

On that excellent [glory] ofSavitr

Honey the winds, honey the streams
drip on the righteous man.

Honey-filled may the plants be for us.

Earth! Svaha!

glory of god [Savitr] we reflect

Honey the night, honey the morn,
honey-filled the earthly expanse;

Honey may Father Heaven be to us!

Intermediate region! Svaha!

that he may stimulate our prayers.

Honey-filled the tree, honey-filled the sun;

filled with honey the cows;

Honey-filled may they be to us!

Sky! Svaha!

Then he repeats the entire Savitri verse and all the above verses on honey, and says:
“May I indeed become this whole world! Earth! Intermediate region! Sky! Svaha!”
Finally, he sips some water, washes his hands, and lies down behind the fire with
his head towards the east. In the morning he worships the sun, saying: “You are the
one lotus among the quarters! May I become the one lotus among men!” Then he
returns the way he came and, seated behind the fire, silently recites the lineage.

7 After telling this same thing to his pupil Vajasaneya Yajnavalkya, Uddalaka
Aruni said: “Even if one were to pour this mixture on a withered stump, it would
sprout new branches and grow new leaves.”

8 After telling this same thing to his pupil Madhuka Paingya, Vajasaneya
Yajnavalkya said: “Even if one were to pour this mixture on a withered stump, it
would sprout new branches and grow new leaves.”

9 After telling this same thing to his pupil Cula Bhagavitti, Madhuka Paingya

153

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6.4.5

said: “Even if one were to pour this mixture on a withered stump, it would sprout
new branches and grow new leaves.”

l0 After telling this same thing to his pupil Janaki Ayasthuna, Cula Bhagavitti
said: “Even if one were to pour this mixture on a withered stump, it would sprout
new branches and grow new leaves.”

11 After telling this same thing to his pupil Satyakama Jabala, Janaki Ayasthuna
said: “Even if one were to pour this mixture on a withered stump, it would sprout
new branches and grow new leaves.”

12 After telling this same thing to his pupils, Satyakama Jabala said: “Even if
one were to pour this mixture on a withered stump, it would sprout new branches
and grow new leaves.”

One should not disclose this to anyone who is not a son or a pupil.

13 There are four things made of fig wood: fig- wood spoon, fig- wood cup, fig-
wood kindling stick, and the two fig-wood stirring sticks. There are ten types of
cultivated grains: rice, barley, sesame, bean, millet, mustard, wheat, lentil, pea, and
legume. After grinding these, he pours curd, honey, and ghee on them, and offers an
oblation of ghee.

4 Of these beings here, the essence is clearly the earth; of the earth, the waters; of
the waters, the plants; of the plants, the flowers; of the flowers, the fruits; of the
fruits, man; of man, semen.

2 Prajapati then thought to himself: “Now, why don’t I prepare a base for that
semen?” So he created woman and, after creating her, had intercourse with her. A
man, therefore, should have intercourse with a woman. Prajapati stretched out from
himself the elongated stone for pressing Soma and impregnated her with it.

3 Her vulva is the sacrificial ground; her pubic hair is the sacred grass; her labia
majora are the Soma-press; and her labia minora are the fire blazing at the center. A
man who engages in sexual intercourse with this knowledge obtains as great a world
as a man who performs a Soma sacrifice, and he appropriates to himself the merits
of the women with whom he has sex. The women, on the other hand, appropriate to
themselves the merits of a man who engages in sexual intercourse with them with-
out this knowledge.

4 Surely it was this knowledge that made Uddalaka Aruni exclaim, as also Naka
Maudgalya and Kumaraharita: “Many are the mortals of Brahmin descent who, en-
gaging in sexual intercourse without this knowledge, depart this world drained of
virility and deprived of merit.”

If one discharges semen, whether it is a little or a lot, in sleep or while awake,
5 one should touch it and also address it with this formula:

I retrieve this semen that fell on earth today;

into water or plants though it may have seeped.

May I regain my virility, my ardor, my passion;

let the fire and the fire-mounds each return to its place.

As he recites this he should take the semen with his thumb and ring finger and
rub it between his breasts or brows.

155

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6.4.13

6 If, moreover, he sees his reflection in water, let him address it thus: “May
vigor, virility, fame, wealth, and merit remain in me!”

Surely, a woman who has changed her clothes at the end of her menstrual pe-
riod is the most auspicious of women. When she has changed her clothes at the end
of her menstrual period, therefore, one should approach that splendid woman and
invite her to have sex. 7 Should she refuse to consent, he should bribe her. If she still
refuses, he should beat her with a stick or with his fists and overpower her, saying:
“I take away the splendor from you with my virility and splendor.” And she is sure
to become bereft of splendor. 8 If, on the other hand, she accedes to his wish, he
should say: “I confer splendor on you with my virility and splendor.” And then they
are both sure to become full of splendor.

9 If he wants her to love him, he should slip his penis into her, press his mouth
against hers, and stroke her vagina as he softly recites:

From my body you spring — from every inch!

Born from my heart, you are my body's pith!

Make her crazy about me, as if she's been hit

With a dart carrying a poisoned tip.

l°If he does not want her to become pregnant, he should slip his penis into her,
press his mouth against hers, blow into her mouth and suck back the breath, as he
says: “I take back the semen from you with my virility and semen.” And she is sure
to become bereft of semen.

1 1 If, on the other hand, he wants her to become pregnant, he should slip his pe-
nis into her, press his mouth against hers, suck in the breath first, and then blow it
back into her mouth, as he says: “I deposit the semen in you with my virility and
semen.” And she is sure to become pregnant.

12 In case someone’s wife has a lover whom he hates, this is what he should do.
He should place some fire in an unbaked pot, spread out a bed of reeds, arranging
them in a way that is the reverse of the normal, apply ghee to the tips of those reeds,
again in an order that is the reverse of the normal, and offer them in that fire, as he
recites:

In my fire you made an offering! So-and-so, I take away your out-breath
and your in-breath.

In my fire you made an offering! So-and-so, I take away your sons and
livestock.

In my fire you made an offering! So-and-so, I take away your sacrifices
and good works.

In my fire you made an offering! So-and-so, I take away your hopes and
expectations.

A man cursed by a Brahmin possessing this knowledge is sure to depart from this
world bereft of his virility and stripped of his good works. One should, therefore,
never try to flirt with the wife of a learned Brahmin who knows this, lest one make
an enemy of a man with this knowledge.

13 Now, when a man finds that his wife is having her period, he should make
sure that she does not drink from a metal cup or wear fresh clothes for three days.
Nor should a low-caste man or woman be allowed to touch her. When the three

157

3

The Early Upanisads

*r f^cf ^fr t ^?r ^^41 d H^n^fenf^frf tftfl'fr
HNRi^II I f'gft' ddRld^ ll?v||

aw ^E^cf j5fr *r cpfe f^yr ^rt tr f^rr-

g%nWcr i^erl^T TpEfftw l f’srfr ^Frftcrt' ii?hm

3^ 5T l^cT *T ?^Trcfr c^rftcWY ^tRcT #%Fg|[4tcr HqHRT-
^RdlRc^^kn qTxjftw dVnrT^ifldT'^ I f 5 ^ ^di^Tcrt' 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

3RT IT ff^cfr *T 'TfecTT 'jTf^cf d^Rf^lRicr fcTcft^T qmfocSTr
tff^'dR^ldW I SRftcfl ll?\9ll

SRT *T ^cT 3TT ^ qf^cfr fMcT: 1 dfafcMR: ^f^cTT RTR srrftnT
'STT^cT e#^H3|4!cT d^JTTgftdlRfrl HN^ddl H^Wd^F-fr-

3TRTFT I f^srfr I 3i^w 2 dT^iFr rt II^M

ar^lf^Td^' 5^ leflM IdoRd I'J'R dfR rCJ I ^Ic^HIdodRlHdld
Wlgl^dd^l WRI *Av-i drMyddld" dRlijfd I ^c^l^cR STPSTlfcT I

yi'^ckwr: g-q^fcr I ^mn qrf^T t^rf f^R^rfcr I

ssltparcfr rWrt 1 I

C\ -N

f dm W etfcr 1 1 ?^l 1

mrsmf^i m ft m cmwrF^r; I

didi?dR+r dtcb w tfkg yRi4] rdd II
dl3R d<dld| m tcTf I

frr Tmr f%mr ffcr I Roll

• 0-0 ~

amm f^imfrr f^f^n^Rrt ?% I dFrmf Piw 1

g#T •g# dWFT R^dl^eyRrriTHRlf^" l

R^iiTiR ^o<FRd mrf^r ffer I

o-o o

158

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6 . 4.21

days are over and she has taken her bath, he should get her to thresh some rice. 14 “I
want a son with a fair complexion who will master a single Veda and live out his
full life span” — if this is his wish, he should get her to cook that rice with milk, and
the two of them should eat it mixed with ghee. The couple thus becomes capable of
begetting such a son.

15 “I want a son with a ruddy complexion and tawny eyes who will master two
Vedas and live out his full life span” — if this is his wish, he should get her to cook
that rice with curd, and the two of them should eat it mixed with ghee. The couple
thus becomes capable of begetting such a son.

16 “I want a son with a dark complexion and reddish eyes who will master three
Vedas and live out his full life span” — if this is his wish, he should get her to cook
that rice in water and the two of them should eat it mixed with ghee. The couple
thus becomes capable of begetting such a son.

17 “I want a learned daughter who will live out her full life span” — if this is his
wish, he should get her to cook that rice with sesame seeds and the two of them
should eat it mixed with ghee. The couple thus becomes capable of begetting such a
daughter.

1® “I want a learned and famous son, a captivating orator assisting at councils,
who will master all the Vedas and live out his full life span” — if this is his wish, he
should get her to cook that rice with meat and the two of them should eat it mixed
with ghee. The couple thus becomes capable of begetting such a son. The meat may
be that of a young or a fully grown bull.

19 Then, toward morning, following the same ritual procedure as at the cooking
of the pot of milk-rice, he should prepare melted butter and offer portions from the
pot of milk-rice in the fire, saying: “To fire, svaha! To assent, svaha! To the divine
Savitr, faithful in procreation, svaha!” After making these offerings, he takes the
rest out and, after first eating himself, gives some to his partner. After washing his
hands, he fills a pot with water and sprinkles her with it three times, saying:

Get up, Visvavasu, and leave this place;

Find yourself some other luscious girl.

This wife is here with her husband.

20 Then he embraces her, as he says:

I am ama, you are sa — you are sa, I am ama.

I am the Saman chant, you are the Rg verse;

I am the sky, you are the earth.

Come, let us unite,
deposit the seed,
to get a son,
a male child.

21 Then he spreads apart her thighs, saying: “Spread apart, earth and sky.” He slips
his penis into her, presses his mouth against hers, and strokes her three times in the
direction of her hair, as he says:

May Visnu prepare your womb,
and Tvastr mold the forms;

159

6 . 4.21

The Early Upanisads

W srwMrrw M ^ II

M M M I

M rT Mf# Mrmrff IR?li

fMM 3Rnfr WW MwrMM 1 I
?f ct M cirri' 2 Mr inf^r gwr 1 1

WfMf 'jMf W MM I
wrf%rf w M ^ M ^g#r rTsMfcr 3 IMII

I

WIT Wf : HfccbRuff MfpM Mf: I
it^t ^ M fwj ?m% ttwjw II
WW WH fW wW wfMn I
clfM Ml- Mr WRT Htfcf IR^II

Msf^wnwri^ waw M" yrM 1 Mr 1
fflfcT I

3#RWW fWWWRTT: ^l" 2 I

irMrwaf w x^dTIrti'Ji^T ^ q^ftrej 1 1

ww I Mr grMMr wrr fMr wrw l

wMrwMtfH wr l

3|fMd flM ggcT Md T: WTlfrT IR^II

wttft 1 Mrt w# lwr wMMr f^r: : I spi # if ^ #ir-
htiIIhh wfn^R- rnwrfcr wet" w iPh fWrt wMr wf^- wnfrr :
w; ft# Mr wfrMr irmi

160

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6 . 4.25

May Prajapati impregnate you,
and Dhatr lay the fetus in you.

Lay the fetus, Sinivali,

lay the fetus, you with broad plaits.

Lay the fetus, you two Asvins,

lay the fetus, you two with lotus wreaths.

22 The golden fire-drills with which
the Asvins churned the fire;

That I invoke as the fetus for you,

• for delivery in the tenth month.

As fire lies a fetus in the earth,
and rain in the sky;

As the wind is the fetus
of the cardinal points;

So I place this fetus in you, So-and-so.

23 As she is about to deliver, he sprinkles her with water, saying:

As from all sides the wind chums a lotus pond,
so may your fetus stir and
come out with the afterbirth.

This stall with lock and fence is Indra’s handiwork —
expel it, Indra,
with the fetus and afterbirth.

24 When a boy is born, he should kindle the fire, place the baby on his lap, mix
curd and milk in a metal bowl, and offer spoonfuls of that mixture in the fire, say-
ing:

In this boy may I prosper a thousandfold
and thrive in my own house.

Rich in offspring and livestock,

may disaster never strike his line.

Svaha!

The breaths in me
I offer in you
with my mind.

Svaha!

If in this rite I did too much of this,
or too little of that;

May the wise fire, the rectifier of rites,
make ours well done.

Svaha!

25 He then draws close to the baby’s right ear and says three times: “Speech!
Speech!” Next, he feeds the baby a mixture of curd, honey, and ghee with a golden
spoon without putting it inside the mouth, as he says: “The earth I place in you! The
intermediate region I place in you! The sky I place in you! Earth, intermediate re-
gion, sky — the Whole I place in you!”

161

6 . 4.26

The Early Upanisads

3mTFT =TPT cRtfcT I cT^FT cf^'^ ^TPT Wlfrf 1 1^1 1

1 °
artr Tnt frw sw^fcr I

ETTT: 5T?T?fr WT^ff ^TT ^fU: g^r: I

^•T f^W g^R-i '=d'4 < iPi tU^fd clRi$‘ Elicit c^Rfcl I Rl9l I

3TWT ^TTcR^P^Wr I

^rf^r ^nr^ft <£lt i

m w m wrF#^RfR^f^fcr 2 1 1

cT ciT TT^TIf^lf^cTT ^mggfcrf^cTFTft Wcfl^: W 3cT ^ W 9TT-
f^TT ZRRTT WgTer^'T' V s||gju|tt| pt SfTW ^fcT \\R6\\

II ^jw II

3FT w: I l flfrl'Hr%^r: 1 ^^TFrftWcf I ^PT^TFFft^fT ^llrPftgWTcf I

. . . . Q_ ”v_ Q__ i _ Q Q , Q

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6.5.3

26 He then gives a name to the baby, with the words: “You are the Veda!” It be-
comes the child’s secret name. 27 He then hands him to the mother and gives him
her breast, saying:

Your refreshing breast, Sarasvatl, that ever flows,
giving riches, finding treasures, granting gifts;

The breast with which you nourish all you choose,
give it here for him to suck.

28 Then he says to the baby’s mother:

You are Ila, in the family of Mitra and V aruna;
you have borne a hero, O heroine.

You’ve made me the father of a hero;
mother of heroes may you be!

People say of such a son: “Bravo, you have surpassed your father! Bravo, you
have surpassed your grandfather! A man who is born as the son of a Brahmin with
this knowledge has surely reached the very pinnacle of prosperity and fame, the
pinnacle of eminence in sacred knowledge.”

5 Now the lineage:

The son of Pautimasi from the son of KatyayanI; the son of KatyayanI from
the son of GautamI; the son of GautamI from the son of Bharadvaji; the son of
Bharadvaji from the son of Parasarl; the son of Parasarl from the son of Aupas-
vasti;the son of Aupasvasti from the son of Parasarl; the son of Parasarl from the
son of KatyayanI; the son of KatyayanI from the son of KausikI; the son of KausikI
from the son of AlambI and from the son of VaiyaghrapadI; the son of
VaiyaghrapadI from the son of Kanvi and the son of KapI; the son of KapI 2 from the
son of Atreyl; the son of Atreyl from the son of GautamI; the son of GautamI from
the son of Bharadvaji; the son of Bharadvaji from the son of Parasarl; the son of
Parasarl from the son of VatsI; the son of Vats! from the son of Parasarl; the son of
Parasarl from the son of VarkarunI; the son of VarkarunI from the son of VarkarunI;
the son of VarkarunI from the son of ArtabhagI; the son of ArtabhagI from the son
of Saungl; the son of Saungl from the son of SamkrtI; the son of SamkrtI from the
son of AlambayanI; the son of AlambayanI from the son of AlambI; the son of
AlambI from the son of JayantI; the son of JayantI from the son of MandukayanI;
the son of MandukayanI from the son of MandukI; the son of MandukI from the son
of Sandill; the son of Sandill from the son of Rathltarl; the son of Rathltarl from the
son of BhalukI; the son of BhalukI from the two sons of KrauncikI; the two sons of
KrauncikI from the son of VaidabhrtI; the son of VaidabhrtI from the son of
Karsakeyi; the son of Karsakeyl from the son of Praclnayogl; the son of Praclnayogl
from the son of SanjivI; the son of Sanjlvl from Asurivasin, the son of Prasnl: the
son of Prasnl from Asurayana; Asurayana from Asuri; Asuri 3 from Yajnavalkya;
Yajnavalkya from Uddalaka; Uddalka from Aruna; Aruna from Upavesi; Upavesi
from Kusri; Kusri from Vajasravas; Vajasravas from Jihvavat Badhyoga; Jihvavat

163

6 . 5.3

The Early Upanisads

Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

6.5.4

Badhyoga from Asita Varsagana; Asita Varsagana from Harita Kasyapa; Harita
Kasyapa from Silpa Kasyapa; Silpa Kasyapa from Kasyapa Naidhruvi; Kasyapa
Naidhruvi from Vac (speech); Vac from AmbhinI; AmbhinI from Aditya (sun).

These white Yajurvedic formulas coming from the sun have been proclaimed
by Vajasaneya Yajnavalkya.

4 The lineage up to the son of Sanjlvi is the same.

The son of Sanjlvi from Mandukayani; Mandukayani from Mandavya;
Mandavya from Kautsa; Kautsa from Mahitthi; Mahitthi from Vamakaksayana;
Vamakaksayana from Sandilya; Sandilya from Vatsya; Vatsya from Kusri; Kusri
from Yajnavacas Rajastambayana; Yajiiavacas Rajastambayana from Tura Kava-
seya; Tura Kavaseya from Prajapati; Prajapati from Brahman. Brahman is self-
existent. Homage to Brahman!

The end of the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad.

TWO

Chandogya Upanisad

The Chandogya (the Upanisad of “the singers of the Samaveda,” i.e., the Udgatr
priest) is a section of the Chandogya Brahmana belonging to the Tandya school of
the Samaveda. Like the Brhadaranyaka, the Chandogya is the work of an editor or a
series of editors who created an anthology of passages and stories that must have
previously existed as separate texts. The unifying theme, if there is one, of the Upa-
nisad is the speculation regarding the cosmic and ritual correspondences of the
Saman (the Samavedic chant in the Soma sacrifice: see CU 2.2.1 n.) and especially
of the High Chant (UdgTtha), the central element of a Saman. The preoccupation
with these chants is consistent with the fact that the authors were Samavedic priests.
In a similar fashion, the works of the Rgveda speculate on the Uktha (AA 2.3.1, 4),
the Rgvedic recitation (BU 1.6. 1 n.), and the Brhadaranyaka begins with the parts of
a horse, consistent again with the fact that the Adhvaryu, the Yajurvedic priest, is in
charge of butchering the sacrificial animal. The fact that the Chandogya and the
Brhadaranyaka include versions of identical passages and stories indicates that the
editors of both have drawn from a common stock of Upanisadic lore.

CONTENTS

1

1 High Chant identified with OM, the essence of all

2 Contest between gods and demons using the High Chant

2.2-14 Breath within the mouth as the true High Chant

3 Cosmic correspondences of the High Chant

4-5 High Chant as OM

6-7 Cosmic and bodily correspondences of Rg, Saman, and

High Chant

166

Chandogya Upanisad

8-9

9.1-3

10-11

12

13

1

2-7

8

9-10

11-21

22

23.1

23.2-3

24

l-l 1

1-5

6-10

11

12

13

14

15

16-17

J- U. J.
18.2-6

1-3

4-9

10-15

10-14

15

16-17

Dialogue between Pravahana and two Brahmins on the
High Chant
High Chant as Space

Story of Usasti: High Chant identified with breath, sun, and
food

High Chant of dogs

Correspondences of interjections in Samans

Veneration of Saman

Cosmic and bodily correspondences of the fivefold Saman
The sevenfold Saman as speech
The sevenfold Saman as the sun

Cosmic and bodily correspondences of the fivefold Saman
Ways of singing and pronouncing a Saman
Contrast between Law ( dharma ) and brahman
Creation of Vedas and OM by Prajapati
The way to secure the reward of Soma offerings

Sun as honey

Honey of sun extracted from all forms of sacred
knowledge

Different classes of gods subsist on parts of that honey
Sun that does not set
Gayatrl as the whole universe
Five openings of the heart: their cosmic and bodily
correspondences

Brahman as one’s self within the heart
The universe compared to a chest
The sacrifice compared to the life span and activities of a
man

Brahman as mind and space

Vital functions as the four quarters of brahman

Story of Janasruti and Raikva: doctrine of wind and breath
as gatherers

Story of Satyakama Jabala: the four quarters of brahman
Story of Upakosala

Correspondences of the three sacred fires
Self as the person in the eye

Work of the Brahman priest in rectifying sacrificial errors

167

Chanclogya Upanisad

5

1-2

Contest among vital functions

1-2.3

Superiority of breath

2.4-9

Offerings to vital functions to obtain something great

3-10

Pravahaia’s questions to Svetaketu and instruction of
Uddalaka

4-9

Doctrine of five fires and transmigration

10

The two paths of the dead — to gods and to fathers

11-24

Asvapati’s instruction on the self and brahman

12-17

Rejection of the identity of cosmic entities and the self

18

Description of the self

19-24

Offering of food in the five breaths

6

Dialogue between Uddalaka and his son, Svetaketu

1.3-7

Rule of substitution which makes known the unknown

2

Creation comes from the existent

3

Three origins of creatures

4

Three appearances of things: red, white, and black

5-6

The three parts of food and drink that form various
bodily parts

7

The sixteen parts of man

8.1-2

The nature of sleep

8.3-6

The existent as the root of man

8.7-16.3

The true nature of the self

7

Sanatkumara instructs Narada

1-15

Progressively greater realities from name to lifebreath

16-23

The need to perceive activities from thinking to plenitude

24-26

Correspondence between plenitude and self

8

1-6

The space within the heart as containing all things

1

The self free from old age and death

2

Securing wishes by mere thought

3

Brahman as the real

4

Self as a dike dividing this world from the world of
brahman

5

Praise of the student life

6

The veins in the heart

7-12

Prajapati instructs Indra and Virocana on the true self

7-8

Self as physical appearance

9-10

Self as the person in dream

168

Chandogya Upanisad

1 1 Self as the person in deep sleep

12 The true self

13-15 Glorification of the perfected self

169

3fiMd^g$qgqilfld I 3ttf*rfcT fT^Tq-fcT I cTWtWTTWFTFT 1 1 ? 1 1

o N

w g?TFTf gfMt dF: ! 'jf^ZR 3TFT)" m: I SPTmlwqf W: I sfpEreft^Tt
3WT m: I gMFT ^TW: I dlF qORT: I WV: STF ^T: I FTST
T&: IUII df dFTdT ddcTF: RdF: qdl^S^gFt q^sr: I U 1 1

cbd'HT q^crFc^RTFcr dW =bd F: =bdd ^tcf f^JRT

^f^T IIVII I 5TIW: HPT I ^Md^gsO'F I cT£T

F RFTSfc# ?PT? IIM I

cf^cf f^RTTt I w %■ fiRffr BdM^d armrft
t dT^TUTFT cRTRTT I K 1 1 dfql^'dl f t SPTFRt wfcT <T QJTtF ftgRW-
g^tFFWT IIV9II

drgj I zrfe r4--qi-|4i-n<:'qri7Tdld' dw I t^rr t^t dgDi4-

cg?rr I FFsff^rcrr f t" qFFRr Fqfcr q - I k 1 1

cf^F qxfr fcRrr cRfct I sftf^lT'Sn^qfrr I 3frf^rfrT sMcT I
qfcT I qr^a'i^irw^fdj! qf^FT FFRr IKII

^fnfr ^cfr q#d^r w f srq I rirt FTf^rr f I q^r
fq^qr q^tfcT ssraiqlqPrw <M=m* qqi^r I ffcr ^'d£taisrc*qtF-
cqiWRT qqfcT 1 1 ? 0 1 1

1 1 ffrT qqF: 1 1

^qi^T W t' FT F^fcR - yNNrqi'Fi^' Rf^3%R%-

qf^FFr ^fcT 1 1 ? 1 1

cf W dT^RPT M|U|g^qgmdNF^t I # in^RT: dFddT f¥^=p I

cTCT'r^Ttw f^raf^r §dfir f gaffer f I mrthi ^r te I U 1 1

170

ADHYAYA 1

I OM — one should venerate the High Chant as this syllable, for one begins the
High Chant with OM. Here is a further explanation of that syllable.

2 The essence of these beings here is the earth; the essence of the earth is the
waters; the essence of the waters is plants; the essence of plants is man; the essence
of man is speech; the essence of speech is the Rg verse; the essence of the Rg verse
is the Saman chant; the essence of the Saman chant is the High Chant. 2 3 * * * This High
Chant is the quintessence of all essences; it is the highest, the ultimate, the eighth.

4 What ultimately is the Rg verse? What ultimately is the Saman chant? What
ultimately is the High Chant? These questions have been the subject of critical in-
quiry.

5 The Rg is nothing but speech; the Saman is breath; and the High Chant is this
syllable OM. Speech and breath, the Rg and the Saman — each of these sets, clearly,
is a pair in coitus.

6 This pair in coitus unites in the syllable OM, and when a pair unites in coitus,
they satisfy each other’s desire. 7 So, when someone knows this and venerates the
High Chant as this syllable, he will surely become a man who satisfies desires.

8 Clearly, this syllable signifies assent, for one says “OM” when one assents to
something. And assent is nothing but fulfillment. So, when someone knows this and
venerates the High Chant as this syllable, he will surely become a man who fulfills
desires.

9 It is by means of this syllable that the triple Veda continues — the Adhvaryu
priest says “OM” before he issues a call; the Hotr says “OM” before he makes an
invocation; and the Udgatr says “OM” before he sings the High Chant. They do so
to honor this very syllable, because of its greatness and because it is the essence.

10 Those who know this and those who do not both perform these rites using
this syllable. But knowledge and ignorance are two very different things. Only what
is performed with knowledge, with faith, and with an awareness of the hidden con-
nections ( upanisad ) becomes truly potent.

Now, then — that was a further explanation of this very syllable.

2 Once, when the gods and the demons, both children of Prajapati, arrayed them-

selves against each other, the gods got hold of the High Chant. “With this we

will overpower them,” they thought.

2 So they venerated the High Chant as the breath within the nostrils. The de-

mons riddled it with evil. As a result, one smells with it both good and bad odors,

for it is riddled with evil.

171

1.2.3

The Early Upanisads

■3W f I cTT fTg^J: 'Wddl I FWFFWFF

FW FFTct xf I TWRT' #F f^§T 1 1 3 1 1

sw w I craerg^n qrww KKw I fwt^fTff

qwfcT WF#flF tT I qTWTT ||V||

3w f I wgj^i: qwHT Wfew: I cTFrr^fmf

gufrfrr FwftF wwpftF f I wwrr ffcfeF I Kll

aw f ft 4iwri##t I wgjgw: w fR%r: I fffMff
gfw^rcT 1 wfw^tK wgrfwfrq- f I qwRT I Kl I

ff it f qFw gwr: RTWf^^rgwwIM i f frjf wwt fcrqw^: 1
gwTiwnwn^n' 2 I Ml q-f |f f

f q4RR rtf cbigii^ q#wrfKwgfK I f Kfrswrw: I KM
grfK f f'fftr 1 j^wgrfcf I WTfwrrwr #r: I FTFrfcr Ff^Rfcr
cKddd-lldHdld I U,d^ qd iTlcftsf^Tdl Wldfd I WI^Tr^WrTcT ffcT I K M

# £T%rr I q^rflFF gw^sfigt w?wr: ll?° II

cW cf f ffF^F^FgFrFF^ I KTf ^ pwfrT FWrT I Flfor f|cfr
wft qr gfcr: II?? II f fwrw | ttfjt ipraw

FFFT I 3TTWTWW^ ll?^ll rfF F f FFt qTFWT W#R I F f
FFF I F f F^F: Wm'RIJlIdKf ll^ll FTFTdT f %
FTFRt ^dld F qd^d f^gW^RTT^T^W^ I fWWTWF H ?V| |

1 1 ffrT ftcftF: 1 1

awiMW I f qcn€r wrfcr wj^fTRflF I fsrf qq- w ff-

^rfcT I FFFTFt FFFTffKf I WTfWT F t FFW FRFT RWfcT F ^ 1 1 ? 1 1
FFTF F qFIF FT# F I FWftFFWl3# I WT f#FFTFFcT FIT #cT

stwtft^wjf I "dfw qdRmdd 3 Fi^twwfKr 1 1 k 1 1

FF ^FF wMdMClFgdlKld' I Ft" yiRltd F FF n I ddHlKfd FtsqTT: I
3W W: Wl u l IFRFT: F#: F WTF: I FT WTF: FT FTW I FFTIFFTFpFFTFT-
WWTfKWT^TfK I KM FT FIFf F# I FWKFFTFTq RfF##?! TF^cT I

172

Chandogya Upanisad

1.3.4

3 Then they venerated the High Chant as speech. The demons riddled it with
evil. As a result, one speaks with it both what is true and what is false, for it is rid-
dled with evil.

4 Then they venerated the High Chant as sight. The demons riddled it with evil.
As a result one sees with it both what is good to see and what is not, for it is riddled
with evil.

5 Then they venerated the High Chant as hearing. The demons riddled it with
evil. As a result, one hears with it both what is good to hear and what is not, for it is
riddled with evil.

6 Then they venerated the High Chant as the mind. The demons riddled it with
evil. As a result, one envisages with it both what is good to envisage and what is
not, for it is riddled with evil.

7 Finally, they venerated the High Chant as just this breath here within the
mouth. And when the demons hurled themselves at it, they were smashed to bits
like a clod of earth hurled against a target that is a rock. 3 * * * * 8 And if anyone contem-
plates evil against or hurts a person who knows this, he will be smashed to bits like
a clod hurled against a target that is a rock. That person is a rock target. 9 * * One never
recognizes with this breath either good or bad odors, for it is free from evil. There-
fore, whenever one eats or drinks, one nourishes thereby the other vital functions
{prana). When, at the end, one fails to find it, one departs; indeed, at the end one
leaves the mouth wide open.

10 Angiras venerated the High Chant as that breath. People consider Angiras to
be just that, because it is the essence (rasa) of the bodily parts ( anga ). 1 ] Brhaspati
venerated the High Chant as that breath. People consider Brhaspati to be just that,
because speech is great (brhatl) and it is the lord (pati) of speech. 12 Ayasya vener-
ated the High Chant as that breath. People consider Ayasya to be just that, because
it proceeds ( ayate ) from the mouth (asya). I3 Then Baka Dalbhya came to know
that. He became the Udgatr priest of the people of Naimisa and secured their desires
for them through his singing. 14 And, indeed, when someone knows this and vener-
ates the High Chant as this syllable, he, too, will become a man who secures desires
through singing.

All that was with respect to the body (atmari).

3 What follows is with respect to the divine sphere. One should venerate the

High Chant as the sun up there that gives warmth. As it rises ( udyan ), it sings

the High Chant ( udgayati ) for the creatures. As it rises, it dispels darkness and fear.

Anyone who knows this is sure to become a man who dispels fear and darkness.

2 This breath in here and that sun up there are exactly the same. This is warm,

and so is that. People call this sound (svara), and they call that shine (svara) and

shining back (pratyasvara ). Therefore, one should venerate the High Chant as both

this here and that up there.

3 Now, then, one should venerate the High Chant as just the inter-breath. When

one breathes out, it is the out-breath; when one breathes in, it is the in-breath. And

the inter-breath is where the out-breath and the in-breath meet. The inter-breath is

the same as speech. One speaks, therefore, without breathing out or in. 4 Speech is

173

1 . 3.4

The Early Upanisads

F# cfcFFT I cTFTWWFRW FTFfcT I F=FFT F fetF I cFFT^
I I'M 3Tcfr FFFFfe fefefe FFfer FFltfeFFTM
WT fS*F FJF 3TTWnT5ri^l?HMHWlP fefe I MFT IcftWIT-
fefeFjqFfe MM I

FF ^^W^'TRftcf F^ jfr F fef I WT TTcfrcf I RT%T fecf-fecT I
FFT >1t: I £TMT f fe F^TFfet I FF FF I 3J?T F^f fecTF MM
I 3RTffe fe I gfefr FF I srrfeF fecT I cn^rff : | FffeTF I
ewt? fetcT I Fffet ifr: I qtfeFTF I Frfef Ft fet fe: I

3TddHdi4l Ffer I f tp# ^ ift- f fer I Ml

ff TFFFfe:Ff[fe I FFFFmfeFFRftF I fe fttf fetFFFTrRFPtt-

Wlfe I Ml FFTPjf^r cTTp - Fafe' F^ FT feTRftffeFFFTFT feF-
gwtcf IKII fe FFFFT FTFFFFTFFFF FFFfef I fe FTtfe

ftfffft: Fife I Mil ft feTFfefeFFFirit fenjF-

fetcT 1 1 ? ? 1 1 FT?FHFFTcr FFgW ?§fef FFF FFFFOTF: I FWTfe f
fM" F FTF: FffeT FFFTF: TffetfcT FFFF F^fetfcT I M 1 1

1 1 ffcT gcftF: FF¥: 1 1

sfrftMcf^T^tWF^ 1 I FtftrfcT ff^fcT I FFfeFFFFFF 1 1 ? 1 1
fef I" .;i^i]fMldf-ii'f ; felt RTfelF I cT 2 TFfefeFFFFF I FtffeFFF~
feTFFFTf life FFf cTF xjFpfe FFFglfe qfefefe qfe-

FTfftr Ffe Fffcr I ct F fefefe FTF: FT¥t FW: fM'F FffeFT' I M 1 1
FF FT ^FFlfecf 1 FfefeTfeFfer FF Fife FF: I Tttt F FRt Ffe-
F^TTfeMTFTFFF I FFffeF fel 3FJFT FFFT FFFF I M |

F F TfeF fenfe qMfefelfe FTFFfFFFF RfelfrT I FFffeF
FFJdT feTFTFfet FFfcT IlHlI

1 1 fef Fjpt: <a^g: 1 1

3TF XFF' F FfeT: F 5FTFt F: 5MF: F Ffef fet I Mt FT FlfeF
fetF ttf 5FTF: 1 I FtfecT fef FfefcT 1 1? 1 1

174

Chandogya Upanisad

1.5.1

the same as the Rg verse. One recites a Rg verse, therefore, without breathing out or
in. The Rg verse is the same as the Saman chant. One sings a Saman chant, there-
fore, without breathing out or in. The Saman chant is the same as the High Chant.
One sings the High Chant, therefore, without breathing out or in. 5 * Even activities
other than these, activities that require strength, such as churning a fire, running a
race, and stretching a strong bow, are performed without breathing out or in. For
this reason, one should venerate the High Chant as just the inter-breath.

6 Now, then, one should venerate the syllables of the word udgltha — High
Chant — namely ud, gl, and tha. The syllable ud is simply breath, for people rise up
(ud-stha-) by means of breath; the syllable gl is speech, for speech utterances are
called words (gir)\ and the syllable tha is food, for this whole world rests ( sthita ) on
food. 7 The syllable ud, likewise, is the sky, gf is the intermediate region, and tha is
the earth. And again, the syllable ud is the sun, gl is the wind, and tha is the fire. So
also, the syllable ud is the Samaveda, gl is the Yajurveda, and tha is the Rgveda.
When someone knows them in this way and venerates these syllables of the High
Chant, namely, ud, gl, and tha — speech will yield for him the milk which is the very
milk of speech, and he will come to own and to eat his own food.

8 Now, then, this is how wishes are fulfdled. One should venerate the following
as things to turn to. A man should repair to the Saman chant which he is about to
use in a liturgical praise, 9 to the Rg verse which supplies the lyrics of that chant,
and to the seer who composed that verse. A man should repair to the deity whom he
is about to praise with that chant. 10 A man should repair to the meter of the chant
which he is about to use in his praise. A man should repair to the arrangement of the
chant which he is about to use in his praise. 11 A man should repair to the direction
to which he addresses his praise. 12 Turning to himself ( atman ), finally, he should
sing the hymn of praise, focusing his mind completely on his wish. He can certainly
expect that the wish he had as he sang the praise will be fulfilled.

4 0M — one should venerate the High Chant as this syllable, for one begins the
High Chant with OM. Here is a further explanation of that syllable.

2 When the gods feared death, what they did was to enter the triple Veda. They
covered it with the meters. The fact that the gods covered (chad) it with them gave
the name to and discloses the true nature of the meters ( chandas ). 7 But death saw
the gods there in the Rg verses, in the Saman chants, and in the Yajus formulas, just
as one sees a fish in water. When the gods discovered this, they emerged from the
Rg, Saman, and Yajus, and entered into the very sound. 4 So, when one finishes a
Rg verse, or a Saman chant, or a Yajus formula, one makes the sound OM. This
syllable — the immortal and the fearless — is that very sound. Upon entering that
syllable, the gods became immortal and free from fear.

5 A man who utters this syllable with that knowledge enters this very syllable,
the sound that is immortal and free from fear. As the gods became immortal by en-
tering it, so will he.

5 So, then, the High Chant is OM, and OM is the High Chant. The High Chant is

the sun up there, and it is also OM, for as it moves it makes the sound OM.

175

1 . 5.2

The Early Upanisads

Wg - hhhfhh ■^r^'ls?ftfcr w pngHTH I

TpffHH q^fecfw I hhht t - cT Hf^Pdr I $cdf^q<TH I R 1 1

HHPHTcHH I H T^ITH gHH: ^PPHTg^HgTRild I aftf^rfcT flT HTT-
^fcT 1 1 ^ II gdg T,dl$H wpilRiq cRHI-HH cd ^ cf^l3<^l icf if
g^gn^r I tththh 1 gH7HHf^HHdTg£cu f- tT 2 HfcpHHftfcT I ivi i

HH ^ ?T r. H SPTHT H: SRH: H ^T ffcT I ft g^TT^Tfr
g^tcPT 1 argHHTfnft cHgHHTHHftfcT 2 I In 1 1

1 1 ?fcf HPPT: w^: 1 1

| 31%: HPT I cT^HHTPJBqrnt HPT I dHTTg : STOTf HPT
^ft^TcT I HT I Hf^RH: | HcHIH 1 1 ? 1 1 3THTf^H^ I Pig: HPT I

H^H^HHTTgWOTff HPT I cPH HPT J Fldcl' I HHff^PtH HT I

PTgPT: I HTHTH 1 1^1 1 I Hlf^HT HPT I d^d^dWig^^l HPT I

HFng^regt hth jfrnfr I tfcr hi I ht^thTsh: I hthth 1 13 II

H^ldl^dP I HHPTT: HPT I H^H^rPHITPHOTS' HPT I HHHTg^TEgP HPT
I ^(1% HT I HHPH 3PT: I HcHTH I |V| |

3PT H^Hpf^cHHT gt HT: PiW& I 3PT H^tcT TC^E°r cPHTH I H^T-
^HHTTg^PHf HTH I HHHIfWOTf HPT IlKlI 3TH H^d^lRrdHl

gt HT: HT I 3PT TCfHrr HHH I cTcHTH I 3TH H TgftPdHR<Hl

f^TPHH: gHHt fPHT f^WPTfflHH^r HT HPHTcH^ T gr gcpif: 1 1 ^ 1 1 HHT
W P^IH I HH-llRfd HPT I H gH Hf«T: <TFH«T

Hf^T: I H^fcT f t Hf«T: 'TFH^Ht Ttg^T I Ival I HFT# H HPT H ^Wt I
cPHT|#T: I cPHTxMWdT I gHHT HRTT I T TT t HFgWRHTTPHt
HTHTHtHt ^HHHHFrf' H I fcPf^HHH 1 1^1 1

1 1 ^fcT W. HPH: 1 1

HHIWcHH I diH^V | qTH: HTH I d^rrHTig^PHH HTH I dW-
ftZTSgf HPT jfHrH I HPTH HT I STTHTSH: I cPHTH 1 1 ? 1 1

HljPtHP?' I HTTHT HTH I H^Ti^HHTPgEHCTH HTH I HHHTgspHH HTH
#TH I HTg^H HT I HTTHPT: I dTHTH 1 1 ^ 1 1

176

Chandogya Upanisad

1 . 7.2

2 And this is what Kausltaki once told his son: “I sang the praise of only the sun.
Therefore, I have only you for a child. Turn to its rays, and you will have many
children.”

That is with respect to the divine sphere.

3 Now, with respect to the body ( atman ): it is as the breath here within the
mouth that one should venerate as the High Chant, for as it moves it makes the
sound OM. 4 And this is what Kausltaki once told his son: “I sang the praise of only
the breath within the mouth. Therefore, I have only you for a child. Direct your
songs of praise at the breaths in their multiplicity with the thought, ‘I am going to
have many children.”’

5 So, then, the High Chant is OM, and OM is the High Chant. That is why the
Hotr priest from his seat rectifies a High Chant that has been sung improperly.

6 The Rg verse is this earth, and the Saman chant, the fire. The Saman is thus
overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. Sa
is this earth, and ama, the fire — and that makes “Sama.”

2 The Rg verse is the intermediate region, and the Saman chant, the wind. The
Saman is thus overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one sings the Saman overlaid on
the Rg. Sa is the intermediate region, and ama, the wind — and that makes “Sama.”

3 The Rg verse is the sky, and the Saman chant, the sun. The Saman is thus
overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. Sa is the
sky and ama, the sun — and that makes “Sama.”

4 The Rg verse is the stars, and the Saman chant, the moon. The Saman is thus
overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. Sa is the
stars and ama, the moon — and that makes “Sama.”

5 Now, the Rg verse is the white luster of the sun, and the Saman chant, the
dark, the pitch-black. The Saman is thus overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one
sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. 6 Now, sa is the white luster of the sun and
ama, the dark, the pitch-black — and that makes “Sama.”

Now, the golden person we see within the sun — he has golden hair and a
golden beard; he is completely golden, down to the very tips of his nails. 7 His eyes
are like deep blue lotuses. His name is “Up” ( ud ), for he has risen up ( udita ) above
all evils. Anyone who knows this undoubtedly rises up above all evils. 8 The two
songs ( gesna ) of that golden person are the Rg and the Saman. He is therefore the
High Chant ( udgitha ), and, because he sings it, also the High Chanter ( udgatr ). He
rules over the worlds beyond the sun and over the desires of gods.

That was with respect to the divine sphere.

7 Next, with respect to the body {atman ) —

The Rg verse is speech, and the Saman chant, the breath. The Saman is thus
overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. Sa is
speech, and ama, breath — and that makes “Sama.”

2 The Rg verse is sight, and the Saman chant, the body {atman). The Saman is

177

1 . 7.2

The Early Upanisads

gfgrigt i tr-; gw I gw I gw

jftwr I srrwrcr gr I WfW: I cTWW lull

3W g^cT^T: ft W: tgf 1 ^ TCfW WW I cf^cUcf-
ggpjwft gw I gwTfwew gw ritgt I gg gwgwn ft w fig
gr I w grift TCft gw I wew lull

w g w^gR^rft 1 ^wri fwri flgt I ww I gfgw I grerj: I
cf^r I ggtggg gtg w ggfw w i wrgw riwri cfr wfri I w
W IlHlI

gr w tr tgggrwttr trgwW triri gwgrgprf ^Icf 1 I wr
ritngf giwtr t wrftr I gwifr wraw: IKII w g wig i%ww
gfgcwr g gratr I gTsgtg gr w ^ gwwwgwfr tgiwraiwift
twffg 1 1 va || ggpritr t tgwnrwwfr crigiwrwsfft gfwgmw I
ctftij tg%wr fgw Ikll g t gwRwrgpftft I w tu gm~
grggtt g 1 w f%rgw writ gw writ IK 1 1

1 1 '$fcr gw: gw 1 1

ggr ttt g$r« ggf: ftgg 1 wwggr#fWrggt giwg ngiftr
tgfeftcr l t d'l^ilt t pff: grit ggf ww frit II? II

g£rft ef gwrititf : I g w rwftr tgftwrg l wggngrr wr I
gifwgtriwlgrg trigrrittr IRII

g it Ri^g: wwgw#ftgngt ggwfgrg wr wr ’^writer I
^tft fUrg IUII

gr gist gftftt I gw ftr twg I ggggg gr gftftt I hw fffr
ftgrg I rnwg gr gftfricr I writfrir fwg I gggg gr gftftt I w
frit fUw IUII

w gr gieritef I ggt grig ffer twr I ggw griggr gr gftftcr I
g ggt tlggfcn^l Rlt rflgrg I ggt gg grig gwrftfngrggw l ggt
ggng 1 ft grrifrir I IM I

178

Chandogya Upanisad

1.8.5

thus overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. Sa
is sight, and ama, the body — and that makes “Sama.”

3 The Rg verse is hearing, and the Saman chant, the mind. The Saman is thus
overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. Sa is
hearing, and ama, the mind — and that makes “Sama.”

4 Now, the Rg verse is the white luster of the eye, and the Saman chant, the
dark, the pitch-black. The Saman is thus overlaid on the Rg, and, therefore, one
sings the Saman overlaid on the Rg. Now, sa is the white luster of the eye, and ama,
the dark, the pitch-black — and that makes “Sama.”

5 Now, the person one sees within the eye — he, indeed, is the Rg verse, he is the
Saman chant, he is the recitation, he is the Yajus formula, he is the formulation of
truth {brahman).

This person down here has exactly the same appearance as that person up there
in the sun, and this person has the same two songs and the same name as he. 6 This
person here rules over the worlds below the sun and over the desires of men. So,
those who sing as they play the lute — they sing of him and thus obtain wealth. 7 A
man who sings the Saman chants with this knowledge sings of both of them.
Through the former he wins the worlds beyond the sun and the desires of gods,
8 while through the latter he wins the worlds below the sun and the desires of men.
Therefore, an Udgatr priest who possesses this knowledge may truly say: 8 9 “What
desire shall I obtain for you by my singing?” For one who sings the Saman chant
with this knowledge has, indeed, the power to fulfill desires by singing.

8 There were once three men who had mastered the High Chant — Silaka
Salavatya, Caikitayana Dalbhya, and Pravahana Jaivali. They said to each
other: “We have clearly mastered the High Chant. So come, let’s have a discussion
about the High Chant.” 2 They all agreed and sat down. Then Pravahana Jaivali said
to the other two: “Gentlemen, why don’t the two of you talk first? I will listen to the
conversation as the two Brahmins talk.”

3 So Silaka Salavatya said to Caikitayana Dalbhya: “Come, I’ll ask you a ques-
tion.” “Go ahead,” he replied.

4 “Where does the Saman lead to?”

“Sound.”

“Where does sound lead to?”

“Breath.”

“Where does breath lead to?”

“Food.”

“Where does food lead to?”

“Water.”

5 “Where does water lead to?”

“That world up there.”

“Where does that world lead to?”

“One should not take it beyond the heavenly world,” he replied. “We bring the
Saman to a rest at the heavenly world, for heaven is the place from which the
Saman is sung.”

179

1 . 8.6

The Early Upanisads

cf F %e5FF $11^13 5 ‘ WFV |Vr^>!%c! ^ rT aWF

FTF I FFtcrff 1 f^FF^t ft frrfcTOcftfcl FElt cT ^TTctf^cT IKII

FFfTF^SWit ^FFftfcT I f^lfcl F^FTF 1 FgHT FiFFF FT ^TfcTf^fcT I
3T t FFF ffrT F^FF I FFT FTFFF FT Ffcrf^fcT I F prfcT W ?5t^TT-
frH^Rfd FtFT^r I afrTW' FT c5t# FIFTfMFTTWF: I TfcPFrFF^ %
F^ llisll

ft F aWTT t^feJW^r I SRraf f^TT ft FTFTFFI FTF I FF^cff? 1 1
FFFg^ft ct f^fcTSTcftfcT ^ff ft f^Tcrf^fcT I FW^'^TFcif ^fficT I
f^tfrT FFTPT I l<i 1 1

1 1 ^fcT 3TWT: ?W: 1 1

3FF cilFFF FT FfM^fcT I TTFTT ftfft FMFT I FF'Pr F FT fFTPt
^TclMlFMI^F I FTFTT ScFFT Ff^T 1 3TTFTTT F^twT FFTFH" I

3TTFTT: WMF II ? 1 1

F FF CRtFftFT^T: I F F^F W: I T^FfFrt 1TFT FFfcT FfrFftFFT
F F^FWTfcT F Fcf^ J ^ F-T^F^qfFFCMWFF ll^ll

ft tFFfcFFFT ^TIhf FFWrf^FFI^fr^tFTF I FTFrT F^ FTTFTg^tF
^fcFFrt M^lclfiFj frqFFFFf^T|fi% 4lFF Ff^FfcT 1 1 3 1 1 FFI^fS4$]^
FlFT ffcT I F F FtT^T 1 %yqiFI' Hilcj^lF FF fTFTT^f^f#^ ^ftFF FFfcT
FFmf ^ ffT ^ FFF Ft %" FlFT F^T MV 1 1

I ! ffcT FFF: 1 1

FdFftFcFT ^fFFl^FFT FF TTFFFrf^T# FrFTFT F^raT^ RFTW
FFTF ll?ll F pft ^FTTFTWFFT f^T^* I ft F^FTF I ftft&ft f^FcT
F^F^ 1 F F^T F#rftFT Ffcf 1 1 F 1 1 F^FT ^ ^flfcT FtFTF I FTFF^ RF^T I
FFTFJTTFfFfcT I Ff^FF I - ft t ftcf FuRfcT FTFrF I R 1 1 F iFt^M'S'Ff^FFl"
FfcT I F FT F4tf^FftFFRpl IF^fcT F^FTF I FTFf F FFFRWcT 3 1 1 V 1 1

F F ^Tf^FTfMF I WTFrF T 3TTTFTF I FTF F^ I cTlFT^"

FFT IIMI F F FRT: Ff^nfTF FFTT I FgFTW ^Ff^

FFFTFTF I <NIF> I F FT FfF^Ftf4t4% I K 1 1

180

Chanclogya Upanisad

1.10.6

6 Thereupon, Silaka Salavatya told Caikitayana Dalbhya: “It is very clear, Dal-
bhya, that your Saman lacks a foundation. And now if someone were to say, ‘Your
head will shatter apart!’ your head is bound to shatter apart.”

7 “All right then, let me learn it from you, sir.”

“Do so,” he replied.

“Where does that world lead to?”

“This world,” he replied.

“Where does this world lead to?”

“One should not take it beyond the world that is the foundation,” he replied.
“We bring the Saman to a rest at the world that is the foundation, for this foundation
is the place from which the Saman is sung.”

8 Thereupon, Pravahana Jaivali said: “It is very clear, Salavatya, that your
Saman is limited. And now if someone were to say, ‘Your head will shatter apart!’
your head is bound to shatter apart.”

“All right, then, let me learn it from you, sir.”

“Do so,” he replied.

9 “Where does this world lead to?”

“Space,” he replied. “Clearly, it is from space that all these beings arise, and
into space that they are finally absorbed; for space indeed existed before them and
in space they ultimately end. 2 This is the most extensive High Chant; this is without
limit. When someone knows it in this way and venerates this most extensive High
Chant, that which is most extensive will be his and he will win the most extensive
of worlds.”

3 After telling this to Udarasandilya, Atidhanvan Saunaka said: “So long as they
continue to possess the knowledge of this High Chant, your descendants will have
the most extensive life in this world, 4 as also a world in the next.” When someone
knows and venerates it in this way, he will have the most extensive life in this
world, as also a world in the next.

'1 /Y Once, when the land of Kuru had been devastated by locusts, there lived in
X that region one Usasti Cakrayana together with his wife, Atiki , a pauper
living in the village of a rich man. 2 One day he came to beg from the rich man
while he was eating some groats. And he told Usasti: “All I have is what I have
been served here. I have nothing else.” Usasti replied: 3 “Give me some of that.” So
he gave him some and said: “Here is something to drink.”

And Usasti replied: “That would be drinking your leftovers!”

4 “But aren’t these also leftovers?”

“Yes,” he replied, “but if I don’t eat them I’ll die. Drinking the water, on the
other hand, is optional.”

5 After he had eaten himself, Usasti took the remainder to his wife. But she had
already gathered ample almsfood. So she took what Usasti gave her and saved it.

6 The next morning Usasti got up and said: “If only I had some food. I’d be able
to earn a little money. That king over there is getting ready to perform a sacrifice,

181

Chandogya Upanisad

1 . 11.9

and he may well choose me to carry out all the priestly functions.” 7 His wife told
him: “But, my lord, we still have the groats.” He ate them and arrived at the sacri-
fice after it had already started.

8 There, he sat by the Udgatr priests as they were preparing to sing the song of
praise in the area designated for it. He then said to the Prastotr priest: 9 “Hey Pras-
totr! If you sing the Introductory Praise without knowing the deity that is linked to
it, your head will shatter apart!” 10 He said the same thing to the Udgatr priest: “Hey
Udgatr! If you sing the High Chant without knowing the deity that is linked to it,
your head will shatter apart!” 1 1 And he said the same thing also to the Pratihartr
priest: “Hey Pratihartr! If you sing the Response without knowing the deity that is
linked to it, your head will shatter apart!” So they stopped singing and sat down in
silence.

n Then the patron of the sacrifice said to him: “Sir, I’d very much like to
know who you are.” And he replied: “I am Usasti Cakrayana.”

2 “It is you, sir, whom I have been searching for to carry out all these priestly
functions. I selected these others only when I couldn’t find you. 3 But now, sir, you
yourself should carry out all the priestly functions for me.”

“All right. But let these same priests, who were authorized at that time, sing the
songs of praise. You must, however, give me the same amount of money that you
give them.”

“All right,” said the patron of the sacrifice.

4 At this point the Prastotr priest drew close to him and said: “Sir, you said to
me, ‘Hey Prastotr! If you sing the Introductory Praise (prastava ) without knowing
the deity that is linked to it, your head will shatter apart!’ So tell me, who is that
deity?”

5 “Breath (prana)," he replied. “Clearly, all these beings gather around breath
and rise up toward breath. This, then, is the deity linked to the Introductory Praise.
If, after I had warned you, you had sung the Introductory Praise without knowing
that deity, your head would have shattered apart.”

6 Then the Udgatr priest drew close to him and said: “Sir, you said to me, ‘Hey
Udgatr! If you sing the High Chant ( udgitha ) without knowing the deity that is
linked to it, your head will shatter apart!’ So tell me, who is that deity?”

7 “The sun,” he replied. “Clearly, when the sun is up high ( uccaih ) all these
beings sing ( gayanti ) to it. This, then, is the deity linked to the High Chant. If, after
I had warned you, you had sung the High Chant without knowing that deity, your
head would have shattered apart.”

8 The Pratihartr priest then drew close to him and said: “Sir, you said to me,
‘Hey Pratihartr! If you sing the Response ( pratihara ) without knowing the deity that
is linked to it, your head will shatter apart!’ So tell me, who is that deity?”

9 “Food,” he replied. “Clearly, it is only by partaking of food ( pratiharamana )
that all these beings live. This, then, is the deity linked to the Response. If, after I
had warned you, you had sung the Response without knowing that deity, your head
would have shattered apart.”

183

1 . 12.1

The Early Upanisads

3R7cT: ^3^T: I era: <l<RMl 3 T £Ra|: T^TWFTgsT-

IM 1 1? 1 1 cR# W %cT: STlf^ef I cRR} - W ;3WTe*frf : I 3RT RT
WTFTFTRTg- I STSHtW <71 ^feT IRII eTFffci 1-^=1 TJT aTcTWTJft^fcT 1 I
era ra?r err ^%r: sftwsrarara I R 1 1 cT w wftw-

^RRlT RTfraHWH #REJT: ei^c^TTra^J; 2 I cf W TRRf^Rr ft ragl 1 1 V 1 1
3fRW3*fft f^HRRR eRR: ST^TTqfcT: tff^RprftfTRg ef ^S?rft-
fRWR^^tRf^rfcT 1 IRII

1 1 ^feT gKR: 1 1

m- Ref c5t^r iraraR: I ^ptfcfJR: 1 I : rarar 3 twr: I sn^iw; I
SlfMw 1 . lull anftRT ^OR: I RRR: I ft% ^TT I

RRFTfelffcPlT: I PT: I 3RT qt I ^T^RId' IRII

RTW: 7RRT gfR: IRII ^fT ?Tf: I

rarf^r I ?t ^rrai^ff^K ttRfRra W I Ml

1 1 ffR ipfr^r: 1 1

II ^frT WRTS^TFT: II

TOFT ?TT¥ wnwr HTf I ZRWc?> WIW cTcm^RTIWt I 3 cT^f

cKH l flfeT IUII

cTfciTRTg': I dl§HdHI J ITftfeT ^TT^tWTFTTftRR cRT|r: I 3Rh5h^TT-
RTitRTmftTgTmrft^ eRif: IRII

3 T « TtcriRrif : I TTR % qRfR rarTTCT rarfcT ^ eRRR eRTf : I 3 RTPT
TT qcrfcT WTif rarcWff 3 Tfe^r eRlf : IRII

7T ■ET McRd fR^IRTTeT <rll^ < r^Mltcl5Vi(|$n 5" TTTERT EPIF RT R

JT^WT XT ^rfRr'. I Ml

-O <3

1 1 ^feT OT: w&: 1 1

c5T#^ Ma-x|f^# 'irllHlHI^fld I ^R(41 ft^R: I Rft: RRTIT: I 3Rf1R-
$RtRr: I Rff^RT: SlfellR: I tff^RR I IRII

184

Chanclogya Upanisad

2.2.1

1 O Next comes the High Chant of dogs. One day, while Baka Dalbhya — or it
JL Zm may have been Glava Maitreya — was on his way to perform his vedic reci-
tation, 2 there appeared before him a white dog. Other dogs gathered around the
white one and said to him: “Please, sir, find some food for us by singing. We are
really hungry.” 3 And he told them: “Come and meet me at this very spot in the
morning.” So Baka Dalbhya — or it may have been Glava Maitreya — kept watch
there.

4 Those dogs then filed in, sliding stealthily in just the same way as priests slide
stealthily in a file holding on to each other’s back to sing the hymn of praise called
Bahispavamana. They sat down together and made the sound “hum” 5 They sang:
“OM! Let’s eat! OM! Let’s drinkiOM! May the gods Varuna,Prajapati, and Savitr
bring here food! Lord of food! Bring here food! Bring! Bring! OM!”

B Now, the interjection “ha ii' is this world; “ha i” is the wind; “atha" is the
moon; “iha” is the body ( atman ); “i” is fire; 2 “n” is the sun; “e" is the in-
vocation; “an ho is the All-gods; “him” is Prajapati ; “ svara ” (“sound”) is breath;
“ ya ” is food; and “ virat ” is speech. 3 The thirteenth interjection, that is, the accom-
panying sound “hum,” is left unexplained.

4 When a man knows these hidden connections ( upanisad) of the Saman
chants — speech will yield for him the milk which is the very milk of speech, and he
will come to own and to eat his own food.

ADHYAYA 2

I To venerate the Saman chant in its entirety — now, that is a good thing {sadhu).

So, you see, when something is good {sadhu), people say “It’s valuable
( sama )”, and when something is not good ( asadhu ), they say, “It’s worthless
( asama ).”

2 And in this regard, when people likewise say, “He approached him with kind
words {saman),” what they intend to say is, “He approached him with good inten-
tion {sadhu).” Similarly, when they say, “He approached him with unkind words
{asaman),” what they intend to say is, “He approached him with ill intention
{asadhu).”

3 And when people likewise say, “Oh, we’ve got wealth {saman)]” when they
are doing well {sadhu), what they intend to say is, “Oh, we are doing well {sadhu)]”
Likewise, when they say, “Oh, we’ve no wealth {asama)]” when they aren’t doing
well {asadhu), what they intend to say is, “Oh, we aren’t doing well {asadhu)]”

4 When someone knows this and venerates the Saman chant as good {sadhu), he
can certainly expect that good things will come his way and fall to his share.

2 In the worlds one should venerate the fivefold Saman chant. First, in an as-

cending order, the //un-interjection is the earth; the Introductory Praise is the

185

2 . 2.1

The Early Upanisads

I sfiffctJic | auf^T: aRTTcf: I 3 RTf^Tg^T: I 3 %: RfcRR: I
#lt f^FHT IRII

RRRcF ^ ^^57 ^sfefT^ril 5 ^ R xr^£f Roofer# TTFTF-

aiRF IR1 1

1 1 ^fcr ftcfcr: 1 1

f^r qRrfcrsf eFfFrrcfta 1 g^icfr fe^u-. \ ^fr r mm-, i
RffiF <FT r£)R: I f^fTctcl iRRTfcT R af^RR: I RpFlfR cTf^ETRT II ? II
Rffrr fR # Rkfcr w R RRrfe # RrfRnRT irii

1 1 ^fcT gcft-R. TRR: 1 1

^T^RRg- qRrfcf# FRlqi^rT I Mt RRp/R R floRR: I R^ffcT 5T
RFW: | ZfT: RRR: R 3 #*T: I RT: RcftW: FT aflRR: I RpFF

f%RT IUII

R W^S ^RRRr^RfcT R RRrfM RRPTTRF IRI 1

1 1 ffrT RRR p?: 1 1

Ryerf^a 1 irnfiqi-fH | RRTF fjfRR: 1 #TO: RRTR: I RTF R^tR: !
SRBrfcRK: I f^FTR I U II

RRRF f!W RTTR RTTJRRTTfcT R R^=F TTHTF-

aTRF IRII

1 1 #T RW: W: 1 1

q^JTJ qo^fcTR HFTFmftcT I 3RT RrR | 3TRR: aRTR: I RIR R^tR: I
3 RTT: afcRR: I ^RfT f^RTR 1 1 ? 1 1

RcffR fTRT W: a^TTRRfcT R rRr f^SRT^f FTTHF-

RRR IRII

1 1 ^TT TO TRR: 1 1

aFR qo-xlf^R RfcpfrR: gTRRRftcT I RFfr f|RR: I TW RW:
I RTR afcRR: I RTF fRjRT I rRRtI% RF TRTT^F 1 1 ? 1 1

186

Chandogya Upanisad

2 . 7.1

fire; the High Chant is the intermediate region; the Response is the sun; and the
Concluding Chant is the sky.

2 Next, in the reverse order, the ///m-interjcction is the sky; the Introductory
Praise is the sun; the High Chant is the intermediate region; the Response is the fire;
and the Concluding Chant is the earth.

3 When someone knows this and venerates the fivefold Saman chant in the
worlds — the worlds, both in their ascending and in their reverse order, become
favorable to him.

3 In rain one should venerate the fivefold Saman chant. When the wind starts to
blow, it is the //i/u-interjection. When the clouds form, it is the Introductory
Praise. When the rain is falling, it is the High Chant. When lightning is striking and
thunder is rolling, it is the Response. And when the rain stops, it is the Concluding
Chant.

2 When someone knows this and venerates the fivefold Saman chant in rain —
rain falls for him, and he causes rain to fall.

4 In all the waters one should venerate the fivefold Saman chant. When clouds
gather, it is the ///m-interjection. When the rain is falling, it is the Introductory
Praise. When the easterly rivers flow eastward, it is the High Chant. When the west-
erly rivers flow westward, it is the Response. The ocean is the Concluding Chant.

2 When someone knows this and venerates the fivefold Saman chant in all the
waters — he will never drown in water, and he will have an ample supply of water.

5 In the seasons one should venerate the fivefold Saman chant. The Him-
interjection is the spring; the Introductory Praise is the summer; the High Chant
is the rainy season; the Response is the autumn; and the Concluding Chant is the
winter.

2 When someone knows this and venerates the fivefold Saman chant in the sea-
sons — the seasons become favorable to him, and he will enjoy many seasons.

6 In animals one should venerate the fivefold Saman chant. The Mm -interjection
is goats; the Introductory Praise is sheep; the High Chant is cows; the Response
is horses; and the Concluding Chant is man.

2 When someone knows this and venerates the fivefold Saman chant in ani-
mals — he will obtain animals, and he will become rich in animals.

7 In the vital functions (prana ) one should venerate the most extensive fivefold
Saman chant. The Him -interjection is breath; the Introductory Praise is speech;
the High Chant is sight; the Response is hearing; and the Concluding Chant is the
mind.

187

2 . 7.2

The Early Upanisads

fift prefer qrtwftwr w FiFFSFFfcr f q^F %btt%
qo^rfM' FFFfRr: ftfRifT I ffer tt 1 q^f^JFr l R 1 1

1 1 ^feT FHF: FFSi 1 1

ff FHf^FFr I snf^r ft#tf FTFRFftF ! jrfr%F ftft ffitfer f

f|w: ! FFrfcT F STEFF: I F^feT F srrf^: 1 1? 1 1 -qj f^fcl ■ F F^fF: I
^WeftfeT F afcTWTT: I F|^TfcT F FT^F: I FTftfcT F%1FF I R 1 1

f^S*^ FTFR Ft FIFT FR: I FFFTFFFT FFfeT I F f^FFFlRr

fhIM FTFRTFr IRII

1 1 ^ 7 T 3 PFF: W*£: 1 1

3TF ^FFJFTRTF FFRrF FTFtFFftcf I F~4 fT FFFtF FTF I FT sfeT FT
SteftfeT F^F FFFtF FTF 1 1? 1 1 dRFl>Wlft FFTf^T ^dM'dl^TlI'Wcl f^FIcT I
FFT FTJFFFTcF ffW: I dFFT qwrSFTWr: I dFTrR ff <g#cf I
i^FFFFfM' ^cfFT FTF: I R 1 1

3TF FFJFFtf^cT F SFTTF: I dW FjW 3 FFTFtTT: I FFTTeT FgfeT-
FTFT: ^FFTFTFT: ‘ I FFTlFFlf^Ft ffaFT FIF: IRII

FF FFTFFtFTFf F 3TTW: I eRFT FFFFFTFFT^T I FFTTFFFFft-
^SFRTFFTFTFFIWt nP'idpF I ^cTFT FF: I |V| I

3TF FFFffrT FEFf^ F F#T: I FFFT ^FT 3TFTWT: I FFTTtT FFFT:
yNIHcFlFIF I F^FFlRldl $dFI FTF: IlHlI

3TF FgFf FFT^FTFFTFTO^FF sfcffR:: I FFFT FFf FFlFcTT: I

clFUrl yid^dl FTFF?! 7 ^" I ^Id^KdlRlHl T^lddM FTF: IRII

FF F f^FFFpFT FTFT FFRF FFF: I FFFTRFTT FFTFdT: I FFF^
5FF F# FflRlc^M^dPd' I FKdFlRHV ^FFT FTF: I M I

FF Fd^FdTFfRcl dfpfFFF I FFFT RcI'TIS^NtII: I FFTTrnf^FFfcT I
^TFTFTf^Rr ffFFF FTF: I FF FTFFFTTf^F FF^TF FTFRlFf I Rll

1 1 ^feT FTF: FF: 1 1

188

Chandogya Upanisad

2.9.8

2 When someone knows this and venerates the fivefold Saman chant in the vital
functions — he will obtain what is most extensive, and he will win the most exten-
sive worlds.

Now, that was the veneration of the fivefold Saman chant.

8 Next, the veneration of the sevenfold Saman chant.

In speech one should venerate the sevenfold Saman chant. Every hum sound
present in speech is the ///w-interjection; every pra sound is the Introductory Praise
( pra.stava ); every a sound is the Opening {d.di)\ 2 every ud sound is the High Chant
(ud.githa)', every prati sound is the Response ( prati.hara ); every upa sound is the
Finale ( upa.drava ); and every ni sound is the Concluding Chant ( ni.dhana ).

3 When a man knows this and venerates the sevenfold Saman chant in speech —
speech will yield for him the milk which is the very milk of speech, and he will
come to own and eat his own food.

9 Now, then, one should venerate the sevenfold Saman chant as the sun up there.

The sun is the Saman chant because it is always the same ( sama ). It appears the
same to everyone, because each one says, “It faces me! It faces me!” — therefore,
the sun is the Saman chant. 2 One should know that all beings here are linked to it.

Just before sunrise, it is the Him- interjection, and animals are linked to it. Ani-
mals, therefore, make the sound him , for they share in the fl7m- interjection of this
Saman chant.

3 When it has just risen, the sun is the Introductory Praise (prastava ), and hu-
mans are linked to it. Humans, therefore, are fond of praise ( prastuti ) and acclaim
( prasamsa ), for they share in the Introductory Praise of this Saman chant.

4 At midmorning, the sun is the Opening (ddi), and birds are linked to it. Birds,
therefore, fly about in the intermediate region holding themselves up ( adaya ) with-
out any support, for they share in the Opening of this Saman chant.

5 Exactly at midday, the sun is the High Chant, and gods are linked to it. Gods,
therefore, are the best of Prajapati’s children, for they share in the High Chant of
this Saman chant.

6 When it is past midday but before midafternoon, the sun is the Response
( pratihara ), and embryos are linked to it. Embryos, therefore, are confined
( pratihrta ) and do not fall out, for they share in the Response of this Saman chant.

7 When it is past midafternoon but before sunset, the sun is the Finale
(i upadrava ), and wild animals are linked to it. When they see a man, therefore, wild
animals flee ( upadravanti ) into a thicket to hide themselves, for they share in the
Finale of this Saman chant.

8 When it has just set, the sun is the Concluding Chant ( nidhana ), and the an-
cestors are linked to it. People, therefore, lay their ancestors to rest (nidadhati), for
they share in the Concluding Chant of this Saman chant.

In this way, then, one venerates the sevenfold Saman chant as the sun up there.

189

2 . 10.1

The Early Upanisacls

M7 79odlcddfdddf%cd 77Hf^# TTmidlTfld I f%77' ffcT I

STdTR ffrT MfRR I TTcTTRR l|?||

anf^ftfrT SMM7 I HfcTWTT ffrT MJWTR7 \ cRT ?|cR7 I cTIWT IRII

%tw ffcT ffcr MR^Tt 77R ^fcf I W"

RfcrftPR^ I MW I U 1 1

f^dfticT R^TRR I M# RdfcT I cTlfr f dT q%7 gjffsTfcR-
SRTf^r llvii ^c^fq , Qic^if^di r niil[c) I t%f3fr rf %rs77fd7l%T: I grief £ih
HTR lf^cdlMdld I d?ll<*>d I cffeftdM I )Hl!

3TTFTd : tfl%W 1 MPT I crT RdfcT R q%f f%T-

RRITlfitddf^RJ Tmf^R MiftTR^ 7TP7>T1R) IKII

1 1 SjfcT ^PT: W*S: 1 1

Rdt f%7R I <713377774: I MgR%7: I *T7t af%R: I 3R77 f^RFPT I
qcfJFTT 37% 3% ll?ll

77 R 7%M£1W 3T% 3t?T % I 37^ Rdfc7 I 7pfRF^tc7 I MtwffafcF !
W7RMT7 3%nMcT I JidP-tWr | RKPH!: TRIcT I cT^ MPT I R 1 1

1 1 %f 7r^5r: W*Z-. 1 1

W^FRTfcT 77 %7R: I SP77 RPPf 77 377773: I MeifcT 77 I

37|WJ Rdf ^7 77 3fcTfR: I MRTTRirT 'd^ddd I RWdfcT df^FTR 1 I
TTTTMRTRT^f 37cPT ll?il

77 R 3%c7SW?T7R# 37cf tg - I Wfwr' Rdfc7 I 73%g%7 I
MRjftdfcf I RfTRddl 3%^nfdfc7 ! RRRffRTT I -T SrdWSf^RTRpfdT
pTP^cT I 77^ MPT IRII

1 1 %7 U^T*. 73M: 1 1

WRMt 77 ft=PR: I ftWT 77 377773: I f^PTT 77^ 3tc7 77 %R: I
gfc7 T^f TpT 1 5t^ 77 afcRR: I MM - d^fd dl^£F7R I 373 RR5fcT
dfMFTR 2 I IRTgJR^f f%7 3% 1 1 ? 1 1

190

Chandogya Upanisad

2.13.1

"1 n Now, then, one should venerate the sevenfold Saman chant according to its
_Lv7 own measure and as leading beyond death. Him.kd.ra — the Him-
interjection — has three syllables. And pra.sta.va — the Introductory Praise — has
three syllables. So they are the same.

2 A.di — the Opening — has two syllables. And pra.ti.hd.ra — the Response — has
four syllables. Move one syllable from the latter to the former, and then they are the
same.

3 Ud.gl.tha — the High Chant — has three syllables. And u.pa.dra.va — the Fi-
nale — has four syllables. With three syllables in each, they are the same. One
syllable ( a.ksa.ra ) — which has three syllables — is left over. So they are the same.

A Ni.dha.na — the Concluding Chant — has three syllables. So it is the same as
those.

So there are here altogether twenty-two syllables. 5 With twenty-one of those
one reaches the sun; the sun up there is clearly the twenty-first from here. With the
twenty-second one conquers what is beyond the sun. That is the vault of the sky, a
place free from sorrow.

6 When a man knows this and venerates the sevenfold Saman chant according
to its own measure and as leading beyond death — he will conquer the sun, and he
will even gain a conquest that surpasses the conquest of the sun.

n The //iw-interjection is the mind; the Introductory Praise is speech; the
High Chant is sight; the Response is hearing; and the Concluding Chant is
breath. This is the Gayatra Saman woven upon the vital functions (prana).

2 When in this manner a man knows this Gayatra Saman woven upon the vital
functions — he comes to have full possession of the vital functions; he lives his full
life span; he lives a long life; he becomes a big man on account of offspring and
livestock; and he becomes a big man on account of his fame. He should be big-
minded — that is his basic rule.

"t O When one churns the fire-drill, it is the ///m-inlerjection. When the smoke
X /-. rises, it is the Introductory Praise. When it flares up, it is the High Chant.
When the coals form, it is the Response. When the fire dies down, it is the Con-
cluding Chant. When the fire is extinguished, it is the Concluding Chant. This is the
Rathantara Saman woven upon the fire.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Rathantara Saman woven upon the
fire — he becomes an eater of food, radiant with the luster of sacred knowledge; he
lives his full life span; he lives a long life; he becomes a big man on account of off-
spring and livestock; and he becomes a big man on account of his fame. He should
not sip water or spit in the direction of the fire — that is his basic rule.

'I Q When he calls, it is the H/m-interjection. When he asks, it is the Introduc-
X \D tory Praise. When he lies down with the woman, it is the High Chant. When
he lies upon (prati) the woman, it is the Response (prati.hdra). When he ejaculates,

191

2.13.1

The Early JJpanisads

*T ET Rp£fT STTcT ^ I rfT I filwI^ TI ' ^r -

erT I ?T^m^fcr I ^fr^Mcr l Trfr^mr q^TiMiT I qiFqflw r l t
^W - T qf^cf I d"^ ScRT IRII

1 1 ^fcT oRfr^T: ??PR: 1 1

I ^cT: mm: | JM^r' | 3TqRT^: 2 qfcTfR: I 3R?T

qf^RTT I ^ sf^cjiR^ qrrTRr II? II

*r q- i3^ci^ ff^rET qlcr ^ I ^mmmr mfa l I

^T3f|c|% | TTfBMEn q^nMcr I I cTW T I cT^

m*{ IRII

I 1 ffcr xrg^r: 1 1

snnR w it^rr: I *Nt snEffr r mm-. I differ w 3#q": I
fodtacT RRErfcT R qfcTfR: I d^^lfcT c#!Wr I Rrlt^q RTcW 1 1 ? 1 1

*r et q#^ qRr ^ I few pw I ?t^tf-

I .vqrjaf'rqfa' I q^finfoicT I q^i^diT I =r f^r I

cR[ dcRT I R II

1 1 ^fcT qo-qq^r: W&: 1 1

dWT f|W: I #*T: q^dW: I =pfr I ^T^lcifR: I |WT

f^PRT I Hdlil^njrgj $fRRT 1 1 ? 1 1

d" ET IJ^rltRprfgf qtd - ^ I f%RM% q^TETT q^M^T^FlT I
d^En^fcT I ^EfNMrf I *nrRqoiqr q^S^Mcr I w^tcEjt I
I d^ WcPT IRII

1 1 ffcT qR?T: ^g - : 1 1

0[f^t ftddT: I aRdf^T qdTfd: I 4W<£Rr. I fed q Rigid I dddfr

ftmm I q^T: qrqdEfr qtdT: 1 1 ? 1 1

192

Chandogya Upanisad

2 . 17.1

it is the Concluding Chant. When he withdraws, it is the Concluding Chant. This is
the Vamadevya Saman woven upon sexual intercourse.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Vamadevya Saman woven upon sex-
ual intercourse — he becomes proficient in sexual intercourse and regenerates
himself through every sexual intercourse; he lives his full life span; he lives a long
life; he becomes a big man on account of offspring and livestock; and he becomes a
big man on account of his fame. He should not hold back from any woman — that is
his basic rule.

M When the sun is rising, it is the //im -interjection. When it has risen, it is the
Introductory Praise. Midday is the High Chant. The afternoon is the Re-
sponse. When it sets, it is the Concluding Chant. This is the Brhat Saman woven
upon the sun.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Brhat Saman woven upon the sun — he
becomes resplendent and an eater of food; he lives his full life span; he lives a long
life; he becomes a big man on account of offspring and livestock; and he becomes a
big man on account of his fame. He should not complain against the sun when it
scorches — that is his basic rule.

J“ When the clouds are gathering, it is the //im-intcrjection. When the rain-
JL \_J cloud is forming, it is the Introductory Praise. When rain is falling, it is the
High Chant. When lightning is striking and thunder is rolling, it is the Response.
When the rain stops, it is the Concluding Chant. This is the Vairupa Saman woven
upon the rain.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Vairupa Saman woven upon the rain —
he keeps in his corral beautiful livestock of various types; he lives his full life span;
he lives a long life; he becomes a big man on account of offspring and livestock;
and he becomes a big man on account of his fame. He should not complain when it
rains — that is his basic rule.

"I / The //im-interjection is the spring; the Introductory Praise is the summer;
JL U the High Chant is the rainy season; the Response is the autumn; and the
Concluding Chant is the winter. This is the Vairaja Saman woven upon the Seasons.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Vairaja Saman woven upon the sea-
sons — he becomes resplendent with children, livestock, and the luster of sacred
knowledge; he lives his full life span; he lives a long life; he becomes a big man on
account of offspring and livestock; and he becomes a big man on account of his
fame. He should not complain against the seasons — that is his basic rule.

"1 fT The //(w-interjection is the earth; the Introductory Praise is the intermediate
X / region; the High Chant is the sky; the Response is the quarters; and the
Concluding Chant is the ocean. These are the Sakvarl Saman chants woven upon
the worlds.

193

2 . 17.2

The Early Upanisads

?r q^ciT: wmtf c7t%f gfcTT I mfcc I ^Nn^ fcr I
sqtMkfri I qfiqrw qigf^Mcr I I c^iqqq- f^r^cr I ^

WcffT I R 1 1

1 1 ffcT HH^5T: ?qng~: 1 1

3JW f|W: I 3T^T: 5R^TTcT: I *CW I 3 P3T: yfcl $\l: I ^WT

f^rsFFT I T^cTT ^r^r: q^g- STTcTT: 1 1 ? I i

*T *T it^cTT ^T: qtcTT tq~ I qgTTT^Tqrfcf I ^TT^fcT I

I qww q|rf^nM^r I mmtrJc I q^M f^r I ^

^cPT I R 1 1

1 1 ^fcT 3 Tt^T^T: 1 1

c?R ft=f7TT: I ^7 5R^W: I q%g^T: I 3#sr RfcIfTT: I mm
fern I qdwra¥Rd?^ qrcpr ii?ii

?r v ^ ^ 1 ^ I qrfr f%f#cr I

ii£~ivpf^> | ^fMMrr I TTfT^WTT q^jl^Mrr I \

wr qPifRTcf I cT^ slcPT I wr qT^qiftfcT 3T I R 1 1

1 1 ?fcr it^ThR^I': iqtjg-; 1 1

| cfT^: mm: I 3TTf^T I q^nf^T qfcTfTT: I mm

f^raw I q,d9iNH i^RTRJ RTcPT 1 1 ? 1 1

W W ^IrKMT ^ddrg" ylci I qdltiRq ^ddldt drtlq^dt HTfeff
JFStjfcT I d4dld^' I I q^l^% I

q^F^tc?rf I ?il^l u lld f^R^cf I cf^ ddd I R 1 1

1 1 ffcT f%T: W&: 1 1

mft ferr f|w: I m frr C5R7T: EC mm: I 3#qt^rf^T: H"

3#r: I q^rqrf&r ^n% qfHrq: ec RtcffTT: I ?rqf jreri?: tater I
RH'IR nq'rVj'kiq II? It

EC q- q^dWFT d4f£ddM ^ W mf^C I R 1 1 cRr ^F7: |

194

Chandogya Upanisad

2 . 21.3

2 When in this manner a man knows these Sakvarl Saman chants woven upon
the worlds — he comes to possess the worlds; he lives his full life span; he lives a
long life; he becomes a big man on account of offspring and livestock; and he be-
comes a big man on account of his fame. He should not complain against the
worlds — that is his basic rule.

1 Q The ///m-interjection is goats; the Introductory Praise is sheep; the High
X O Chant is cows; the Response is horses; and the Concluding Chant is man.
These are the Revatl Saman chants woven upon animals.

2 When in this manner a man knows these RevatT Saman chants woven upon
animals — he comes to possess animals; he lives his full life span; he lives a long
life; he becomes a big man on account of offspring and livestock; and he becomes a
big man on account of his fame. He should not complain against animals — that is
his basic rule.

”1 Q The Him -interjection is the body hair; the Introductory Praise is the skin;
JL y the High Chant is the flesh; the Response is the bones; and the Concluding
Chant is the marrow. This is the Yajnayajmya Saman woven upon bodily parts.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Yajnayajmya Saman woven upon the
bodily parts— he comes to possess all the bodily parts and does not become defec-
tive in any bodily part; he lives his full life span; he lives a long life; he becomes a
big man on account of offspring and livestock; and he becomes a big man on ac-
count of his fame. He should not eat marrow for a year — that is his basic rule; or
else, he should never eat marrow.

OO The ///m-interjection is the fire; the Introductory Praise is the wind; the
Z—\J High Chant is the sun; the Response is the stars; and the Concluding Chant
is the moon. This is the Rajana Saman woven upon the deities.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Rajana Saman woven upon the dei-
ties — he obtains residence in the same world as these deities, and equality and union
with them; he lives his full life span; he lives a long life; he becomes a big man on
account of offspring and livestock; and he becomes a big man on account of his
fame. He should not complain against Brahmins — that is his basic rule.

The ///'m-interjection is the triple Veda; the Introductory Praise is these
three worlds; the High Chant is fire, wind, and sun; the Response is the

stars, birds, and the glittering specks; and the Concluding Chant is snakes, Gand-

harvas, and ancestors. This is the Saman woven upon the Whole.

2 When in this manner a man knows this Saman woven upon the Whole — he
becomes the Whole. 3 In this connection there is this verse:

195

2.21.3

The Early Upanisads

flf&r 1 cMqr r ^tft: qRRRMW 2 I [m

qwk r ^ R*f Rqf Rsfr 1 1

q^^^TRftcT I cfc[ RcT R5[ sRTR l|V||

1 1 ffcf ?RJR: 1 1

Rrqf^ rtrt far q^T^R^rff^r: | rRrrt: qRrqt: I ftM: rTrrt I

RlRt: | RTj^of I s)?|o-R s^RIcl: I 3-FRRRT R5RRT I

fTRTSfRqlq^d I W c^R q^fcf II ? 1 1

*s *

r^PTcR ^«r anwFftwiRFlcr I Rrat fa^nR snw

q^pR: RPt RtRl RRRTRTRIRRTcRR ^MNIdlMcllM RRRT eZTRJHW-HxT:

RpflcT IIMI

Rf RRT e^RTFRlR: | spf RWIR: SlRTqtRcRIR: I R? RT$lt

^rtrrrft: I cr ^rqr^r?r I 5 trr qq^Ts^R r rr q%
q^McflRld pf 1 1 3 1 1 RR q^Mqwujqir-iin' l qRTqfcf qqRTsgM r
RR qfcT ^RcflrER fRlcT I 3TR R?jR RTStwiRTi^R I ’Jrf 5RR qqRtS^R R
RTT qfcT RWcftc^lR sFTRT l|V||

c\ %

?# RTR RlR'cT-ffr WRRfT Rrb°q| ^ Rc^ ^RPftfcT I R# R^RP^RRTT
Rf^RRTT f^fcn RRoRT: qRTq^TRRTR qRqqi-Tlfd I R^ RRTF rt$H I-
qf^Rrftcrr 1 rrcrt q%R^ftfcf IIM I

1 1 ffcT gqf^F: ?!RR: 1 1

mr STfeRTT: I RR^rfcT SfRR: I RR ftcflR: I RRT-

d iqM iqq^Rq iM ^M^McR-tPh i cr hri'R i4 c £<M>=i<h i^rr I r 4 M,<~) ^pqMcbf
RrRt I S^TRRf^^TRR^icr 1 1 ? 1 1

196

Chandogya Upanisad

2.23.1

There is nothing better, nothing higher,
than the fivefold set of threes.

4 A man who knows that knows the Whole;
all quarters bring tribute to him.

He should venerate this Saman with the thought, “I am the Whole!” — that is his
basic rule.

^ ^ “I choose the roaring way of singing the Saman, the singing that resembles
' ' the lowing of an animal” — that is the High Chant of the fire. The indistinct
way of singing it is the High Chant of Prajapati; the distinct way of singing it is the
High Chant of Soma; the soft and smooth way of singing it is the High Chant of the
wind; the smooth and powerful way of singing it is the High Chant of Indra; the
way of singing it that sounds like a heron is the High Chant of Brhaspati; and the
dissonant way of singing it is the High Chant of Varuna. One should employ all
these ways of singing, except that of Varuna, which alone one should avoid.

2 When a person sings to obtain something, he should do so with the thought,
“Let me obtain immortality for the gods by my singing.” Likewise, he should be
careful to keep the following thoughts in his mind as he sings the songs of praise:
“Let me obtain by my singing food offerings for the ancestors, the fulfillment of
wishes for humans, fodder and water for animals, heaven for the patron of the sacri-
fice, and food for myself ( atman ).”

3 All the vowels are corporeal forms {atman) of Indra. All the spirants are cor-
poreal forms of Prajapati. And all the stops are corporeal forms of Death. So, if
someone criticizes him for the way he pronounces his vowels, he should tell that
man: “I have taken refuge in Indra, and he will rebut you.” 4 And if someone criti-
cizes him for the way he pronounces his spirants, he should tell that man: “I have
taken refuge in Prajapati, and he will crush you.” And if someone criticizes him for
the way he pronounces his stops, he should tell that man: “I have taken refuge in
Death, and he will burn you up.”

5 One should pronounce all the vowels with resonance and emphasis, thinking,
“Let me give strength to Indra.” One should pronounce all the spirants without
swallowing or ejecting them, and with an open passage between the tongue and the
place of articulation, thinking, “Let me surrender myself (atman) to Prajapati.” One
should pronounce all the stops, checking slightly and thus separating them from the
following sounds so that they are not absorbed into them, thinking, “Let me save
myself from Death.”

O O There are three types of persons whose torso is the Law ( dharma ).

The first is one who pursues sacrifice, vedic recitation, and gift-giving.

The second is one who is devoted solely to austerity.

The third is a celibate student of the Veda living at his teacher’s house — that is,
a student who settles himself permanently at his teacher’s house.

All these gain worlds earned by merit.

A person who is steadfast in brahman reaches immortality.

197

2 . 23.2

The Early Upanisads

I ferr ffrmf l fnw-

W I dFF FjPdHTFT itFIMFFRt Fyi-HcfM Fpf: FrRfcT I R 1 1 rTRT-

mmtf I PPsfPrpF aff^irr-. FyiFdd; I dFFr 5 T|ft ffPt q^rPr

mf fiff^w | fIftf cpf yfeir f^f 1 1 3 1 1

1 1 pr FFffpT: 1 1

dFFFTpTT dpF I Fg^FT" ®f:Wd I FFFT FlwRRf FFTF I
STpdIHri F fPPt TP ^TRf gcftq^cHJH M ? H dff cPf

ffcT I F FEF F fPriFFF ^fdTF I FF fpTMFfcT I R 1 1

ff sri d <!.ffi f fP 1 f f 1 1 Ph FprFiFp^Fr FifpF f draf

o

FTFTfpTFTfrT ll^ll

I ypF MT 5RT RTR
J^F 3TT^ 527TW3 3FR??? ftcT ||V||

FF fitter I FTHSp" ffMRP FlFpP I FTP tr FFFRTF fFF I
trcr t FFFIFFT pcR: I iicuRf I IK ! I FF FdFTF: FFFTFdRM FRIF I
FFdftr hR^Rc^tcRRi^Ri I dP dFF: STRTFFF FRFFpf 1 1 ^ 1 1

CRT FTWfpFFr FdFFTt H IF MITM FPmMFFpfM FqfpF F t%

o

FTFTfpTFrfcT ll^ll

3 1 fRtf mt mt trn P P
JT^F FH3 FRFK FTR?H pr IKH

FF vjpftfcT I FFT c) I •M R StI RfRP cit^Rici’ I <?Pr R FFFTFTF RTF I
ITF t" FFFFRF epF: I ICcilRF I Kll FF FFFTF: crfTTFT^F: FIFF I
FFdP crRppFdPrFsRr I cF# F£T FTWpF FFT FIFFpF H?°M

v, >0

FF ^TftFFFFFTt M | cb F 1 1 I Fp £ <sl FtfP F 3TTpcF F

%pF FTFrfpTTFfrr M ? ? M

P^F^RFFFpT^ I qpF MT FF MRT^ ^ ^

f^F FT33 MRFlR 3TTR??? fMTfpFF MRU

3TF t’pdF I

PM^TCFFFTI^R ! qpF MT FT FTFR ^ 3 3
J^F 3TTR FTR??? pT MRII

198

Chandogya Vpanisad

2.24.13

2 Prajapati incubated the worlds, and, when they had been incubated, the triple
Veda sprang from them. He incubated the triple Veda, and, when it had been incu-
bated, these syllables “bhur, bhuvas, svar” sprang from it. 3 He incubated these
syllables, and, when they had been incubated, the syllable OM sprang from them. As
all the leaves are bored through by a pin, so all words are bored through by OM.
This whole world is nothing but OM.

A Those who articulate formulations of truth ( brahman ) inquire: “Since the
/Jit morning pressing of Soma belongs to the Vasus, the midday pressing to the
Rudras, and the third pressing to the Adityas and the All-gods , 2 what world is then
left for the patron of the sacrifice?” If a man does not know the answer to this, how
can he carry out a sacrifice? So, only a man who knows it should carry it out.

3 Before the command to recite the morning litany has been issued, the patron
sits facing the north behind the householder’s fire and sings the Saman of the
Vasus:

4 Open the door to the world!
Let us see you — to win
Sovereignty!

5 Then he puts the offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “Homage to the fire
dwelling on the earth, dwelling in the world! Secure that world for me, for the pa-
tron — for that is the patron’s world. I will go 6 there after death — I the patron —
svaha! Throw back the bolt!” After saying this, he gets up.

The Vasus present to him the morning pressing.

7 Before the command to undertake the midday pressing has been issued, the
patron sits facing the north behind the Agnldhriya fire and sings the Saman of the
Rudras:

8 Open the door to the world!

Let us see you — to win
Broad Sovereignty!

9 Then he puts the offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “Homage to the wind
dwelling in the intermediate world, dwelling in the world! Secure that world for me,
for the patron — for that is the patron’s world. I will go 10 there after death — I the
patron — svaha! Throw back the bolt!” After saying this, he gets up.

The Rudras present to him the midday pressing.

11 Before the command to undertake the third pressing has been issued, the pa-
tron sits facing the north behind the offertorial fire and sings the Saman of the
Adityas and of the All-gods:

12 Open the door to the world!

Let us see you — to win
Full Sovereignty!

That is the Saman of the Adityas. 13 Next, the Saman of the All-gods:

Open the door to the world!

Let us see you — to win
Absolute Sovereignty!

199

2.24.14

The Early Upanisads

aPT ptfcr I 'T 3 T 3TTf^^W ^Wf r I

*T ijvJi-HH iir f%^?r 1 1 ?v| I 135 I ddRHdr I iJdi^^r wft:
wgf; ?W 1 SPT^T qfM^wrftrofrr !I?MI

dwr anf^rra' f%% r ^T^cftwcrr dR^^Pd I ^ f I w

xrrrr ^ ?r 1 ^- IR^II

1 1 ffcf xrgff^r: ?pg- : 1 1

il ffcT ftcfNtsssrRr: It

ar# srr 3rrf^Tr I cr^ zif&r fcRsfPfe l aRrf^PTw.- l

R^RPT: RdT: IRII

"dW 4~ RIoRT RFPRcTT Uql^T RTSlft PSJHI'S^: I RR Rg<J>d : I
it^- Jisq- dT 3PJdT 3TTR: I dT dT Q^T WW. I R 1 1 q^^^rnddRd I
ddMlPldHHl d^Rrld fPdRT 4WRdT?T ddli>dl<Rd I R 1 1 dgRI^Rcf I dmfct-
dT ; Rfi^dW 1 I d§J #tdf ^PT I |V| I

1 1 #T W: 1 1

3PT %SW drf^TT dPPRdT ^fWT I *ngfRT: I

dgtd W dT apjcfT 3T[T: 1 1 ? 1 1 cfrf^T dT RldTpr dgtdPW-

dR I d'PNPfdHdR ^P^ij dRddldf RTtSdlRd' I R 1 1 cfgd^Rxf I

d^lf^??ldf^?il3ddd I cTU ^cRI^ddTf^rRFr W I R 1 1

1 1 ffcT fMd: ?§^: 1 1

3Td 45RT RdT5dt ^PRdT t’cTTPr RcfNt RpT^T: I dFlT^T Pf-

^cf: I Rd tpr dT apjdT 3TFT: 1 1 ? 1 1 cTTpt dT RdlP dlHr^d'

dPT^dR^dRT I dFnfPdWT dWRr 4t4w?T RTtWIdT IRII
dg^TRT I d^dPTM^ddd I dsU nrf^\i<(]Pi-Rd' fW dRT IRII

1 1 ffcT gcff^T: WET: 1 1

aid" ^sPTRddt WtW ^dlOTf'^lW dddT^T: I aiddff^RT' PR

TTdfRT: I ffedRTTR cTT 3PJdT 3^4: IRII

200

Chandogya Upanisad

3.4.1

14 Then he pours the offering of ghee in the fire, saying: “Homage to the
Adityas and the All-gods dwelling in the sky, dwelling in the world! Secure that
world for me, for the patron — 15 for that is the patron’s world. I will go there after
death — I the patron — svaha! Throw back the bolt!” After saying this, he gets up.

16 The Adityas and the All-gods present to him the third pressing. A man who
knows this undoubtedly knows the full measure of the sacrifice.

ADHYAYA 3

I The honey of the gods, clearly, is the sun up there. The crossbar for it is the sky
itself; the hive is the intermediate region; and the larvae are the glittering
specks.

2 Its easterly honey cells are simply the easterly rays of the sun — the bees being
the Rg verses, and the flower, the Rgveda, which is also the immortal waters.

These very Rg verses 3 incubated the Rgveda, and, when it had been incubated,
its essence sprang from it in the form of luster, splendor, power, strength, and food-
stuff. 4 A11 that flowed out and made its way to the sun; and that is what constitutes
the red appearance of the sun.

2 Its southerly honey cells are simply the southerly rays of the sun — the bees
being the Yajus formulas, and the flower, the Yajurveda, which is also the im-
mortal waters.

2 These very Yajus formulas incubated the Yajurveda, and, when it had been
incubated, its essence sprang from it in the form of luster, splendor, power, strength,
and foodstuff. 3 All that flowed out and made its way to the sun; and that is what
constitutes the white appearance of the sun.

3 Its westerly honey cells are simply the westerly rays of the sun — the bees being
the Saman chants, and the flower, the Samaveda, which is also the immortal
waters.

2 These very Saman chants incubated the Samaveda, and, when it had been in-
cubated, its essence sprang from it in the form of luster, splendor, power, strength,
and foodstuff. 3 All that flowed out and made its way to the sun; and that is what
constitutes the dark appearance of the sun.

4 Its northerly honey cells are simply the northerly rays of the sun — the bees be-
ing the Atharva and Angirasa formulas, and the flower, the Collection of
Histories and Ancient Tales, which are also the immortal waters.

201

3 . 4.2

The Early Upanisads

cT 3T I dWffSTcfflFT

t mrsmorr lull crgw^r 1 cr^^ftrcfts^

irTnc fa/d^x | U 1 1

1 1 ffcT ^S - : 1 1

3^ ^S5%^t CJ'H'M'MI T^TFTlWr I T TfTF WT^TT

3TPT: 1 1 ? 1 1 a 3T T^ct

W ^fnssrRTcT lull ?T^Rcf 1

c^fw *rs% ^rw ^r I

Ull ^ 5TT

rFicr mr. I cnf^r err

if'di^Jjerr-

fr iiyii

^T: li

g#f | q- 1 ^OTT 3paf^r

T Pfafo 1

Ull F 5T

Chandogya Upanisad

3.8.2

2 These very Atharva and Angirasa formulas incubated the Collection of Histo-
ries and Ancient Tales and, when it had been incubated, its essence sprang from it in
the form of luster, splendor, power, strength, and foodstuff. 3 All that flowed out and
made its way to the sun; and that is what constitutes the very dark appearance of the
sun.

5 Its upward honey cells are simply the upward rays of the sun — the bees being
the secret rules of substitution, and the flower, the formulation of truth
(brahman), which is also the immortal waters.

2 These very secret rules of substitution incubated the formulation of truth, and,
when it had been incubated, its essence sprang from it in the form of luster, splen-
dor, power, strength, and foodstuff. 3 All that flowed out and made its way to the
sun; and that is the flickering of a sort seen in the middle of the sun.

4 These, clearly, are the very essence of the essences, for the essences are the
Vedas, and these are their essence. These are, moreover, the immortal nectar of
nectars, for the nectars are the Vedas, and these are their nectar.

6 On the first nectar among these the Vasus subsist with fire as their mouth. The
gods, of course, neither eat nor drink. They become sated by just looking at this
nectar. 2 Into that same [red] appearance they enter, and from that appearance they
emerge.

3 When someone knows this nectar in this way — he becomes one with those
very Vasus and, with fire itself as his mouth, becomes sated by just looking at this
nectar; he enters into this same appearance and emerges from this appearance; 4 and
he will achieve dominion and sovereignty over these very Vasus for as long as the
sun shall rise in the east and set in the west.

7 On the second nectar among these the Rudras subsist with Indra as their mouth.

The gods, of course, neither eat nor drink. They become sated by just looking
at this nectar. 2 Into that same (white) appearance they enter, and from that appear-
ance they emerge.

3 When someone knows this nectar in this way — he truly becomes one with
those very Rudras and, with Indra himself as his mouth, becomes sated by just
looking at this nectar; he enters into this same appearance and emerges from this
appearance; 4 and he will achieve dominion and sovereignty over these very Rudras
for as long as the sun shall rise in the south and set in the north, which is twice as
long as it will rise in the east and set in the west.

8 On the third nectar among these the Adityas subsist with Varuna as their
mouth. The gods, of course, neither eat nor drink. They become sated by just
looking at this nectar. 2 Into that same (dark) appearance they enter, and from that
appearance they emerge.

203

3 . 8.3

The Early Upanisads

ff

■^WfcT I ^ IT^cf ^Cfl

Rll ?r

WTIW qifcTT' I IV 1 1

1 1 SjfcT SPOT: *pg-; 1 1

3PT WTOT P#T Ul^T srafrT =T

I it ct^t^t f^r 1 1 ^ 1 1 ^r t^r wgf^rM^ I ^wt^

OTiwfcr IRII ?r g - im^orw ^t gwpttcpr gw wi% g^%^wg?r

■ wgfwTwncr I Rcrw^ ott^w IRII ?r ww-
OTPin'l ftwgfrRcT
11*11

1 1 ffcT W: ?pg: 1 1

cTOTW 3T5FTT g#T I tI^T SPSrfnrT =T

Rl I HOT

BiUlBKll

!3

1 1 ffcT ^PT: 1 1

3Tg cRT ^cjl^dl WrT^W xnr Wt WcTT

W: 1 1 ? 1 1

t t- w t f^r^K 1 gtf^wr c^iot i

^T^TTf ?T^ gT I^tfcT IRII

T f 3T 3TW ^fcT T RaHfcl ! U<*>Rw fw# gpfcT I 3

■SH

M 1

TfOTOT 1 g^: 5OTOT

1

OT

1 1*1 1 ^ gw cTWW

RT

S]

'4

Chandogya Upanisad

3.11.6

3 When someone knows this nectar in this way — he truly becomes one with
those very Adityas and, with Varuna himself as his mouth, becomes sated by just
looking at this nectar; he enters into this same appearance and emerges from this
appearance; 4 and he will achieve dominion and sovereignty over these very Adityas
for as long as the sun shall rise in the west and set in the east, which is twice as long
as it will rise in the south and set in the north.

9 On the fourth nectar among these the Maruts subsist with the moon as their
mouth. The gods, of course, neither eat nor drink. They become sated by just
looking at this nectar. 2 Into that same (very dark) appearance they enter, and from
that appearance they emerge.

3 When someone knows this nectar in this way — he truly becomes one with
those very Maruts and, with the moon itself as his mouth, becomes sated by just
looking at this nectar; he enters into this same appearance and emerges from this
appearance; 4 and he will achieve dominion and sovereignty over these very Maruts
for as long as the sun shall rise in the north and set in the south, which is twice as
long as it will rise in the west and set in the east.

"1 D nectar among these the Sadhyas subsist with brahman as their

JL mouth. The gods, of course, neither eat nor drink. They become sated by
just looking at this nectar. 2 They enter into that same (flickering) appearance, and
from that appearance they emerge.

3 When someone knows this nectar in this way — he truly becomes one with
those very Sadhyas and, with brahman itself as his mouth, becomes sated by just
looking at this nectar; he enters into this same appearance and emerges from this
appearance; 4 and he will achieve dominion and sovereignty over these very Sadh-
yas for as long as the sun shall rise in the zenith and set in the nadir, which is twice
as long as it will rise in the north and set in the south.

n Thereupon, after rising in the zenith, it will never rise or set. All alone, it
will remain in the middle. In this connection, there is this verse:

2 There, surely, it has never set,
nor ever risen.

By this truth, O gods,

let me not be stripped

of the formulation of truth {brahman).

3 When someone knows this hidden teaching ( upanisad) that is the formulation
of truth ( brahman ) in this manner — for him the sun neither rises nor sets, for him it
is always day.

4 Brahma taught this very formulation of truth to Prajapati, Prajapati to Manu,
and Manu to his children. And his father imparted this very formulation of truth to
Uddalaka Aruni, his eldest son. 5 So, a father should impart this formulation of truth
only to his eldest son or to a worthy pupil, 6 and never to anyone else, even if he
were to offer him this earth girded by the waters and filled with wealth, because that
formulation is far greater than all that!

205

3 . 12.1

The Early Upanisads

qrq4t err w qf arr qRtq I qn% qia4l I w w a# aq
Tfizrf^r q qracf q II ? II

ar t ar arafra ara ar 4a gf44t l m frf af ga gf^feaa I
aifcTsftafr I Ull ar f ar gfMa aa ar af^qaRWaa^ affca I
RFIT: 5ff4tar: I r^a aTfMtaat IKM af agat StM^K
ara aaKwf^w: ga%- faaa l qRa^jK rmt: afMWr: I igi4a
aif^afraa^r 1 1 vi 1 tar arprar a%a waft I a^afaaapwr IIMI

cTTWHFT Trf%TTT cTcfr WaW gW: I
aqrsar aar aaf4 fawqiw f¥^r' IKII

air cHp£f eft 4 ara aarsa a%af gwraraar: I ar 4 a aftaf
gwiqraan 1 |V9| l aa ara a arsaaa gw aTaw: I ar t arsa.- gw
aiara Ik 1 1 aa ara a attaaaifqa aiara I a^aggfasaf^ I gafa-
sraf^ff faa war a ga 4g IKII

1 1 IjfcT SRST: 1 1

aar f ar gaar |w w ^gw: 1 I a arsar ara gfe a aw I
awsg: I a arf^ra: I cr^cwTwt I r^aaaargr aafrt a ga
4q 1 1 ? 1 1 aa qtsw §R: a SJH: I W^taa I a ag^RT: I rKef-
a|Kr asTS^aitflci I 4tawaafr aafer a ga %a I R 1 1 aa arsar awa
gW. aKRia: I ar aar I ag%: l rr^r^Mwrwf^wfKr I apa-
faraqr wfer a ga 4q IKII aa arsarpq gft": a aara: I awn I a
a4w: l cKcRq?tf^w ^fe^gwftcr I cf^tf^aia ^fewra wfer a ga
tg IKii aa gParTaf: gfti a aga 1 I a arg: I a aianar: I a4a-
grwr agslcgHitfid I aKaTl arrana aafer a ga 4q II g 1 1

cr ar grT aw wrgwr: w4hi araaa gw: I a q gar^a aw an-
aw Rq^w ril<w qiaaF^qRq 41 <1 qrart I w fci m ^ K" raa <?rw q

gdKq cpw wrawrqqjfw c5tqw ^Raa4q IKII

206

Chandogya Upanisad

3 . 13.6

*1 O Whatever there is, this entire creation — clearly, all that is the Gayatri. And
JL /Lm the Gayatri is speech, for speech sings ( gayati ) and protects ( trdyati ) this
entire creation.

2 Now, take this Gayatri — clearly, it is just the same as this earth here, for this
entire creation rests upon the earth and never extends beyond its limits.

3 And take this earth — clearly, it is just the same as this body of a person here,
for these vital functions {prana) rest within the body and never extend beyond its
limits.

4 And take this body of a person here — clearly, it is just the same as this heart
here within a person, for these vital functions rest within the heart and never extend
beyond its limits.

5 This is the Gayatri that consists of four quarters and six types. This is declared
in a Rg verse:

6 Such is his greatness —

Even greater than that is that person.
One quarter of him are all creatures,
Three quarters the immortal in heaven.

7 And take what people call “brahman” — clearly, it is nothing but this space
here outside a person. And this space here outside a person — 1 2 3 4 5 6 * 8 clearly, it is the same
as this space here within a person. 9 And this space here within a person — clearly, it
is the same as this space here within the heart; it is full and nondepleting. Anyone
who knows this obtains full and nondepleting prosperity.

1 Q Now, this heart here contains five openings for the deities. As regards its
eastern opening — it is the out-breath, it is sight, it is the sun. And one
should venerate it as splendor and as foodstuff. Anyone who knows this becomes
full of splendor and an eater of food.

2 As regards its southern opening — it is the inter-breath, it is hearing, it is the
moon. And one should venerate it as prosperity and fame. Anyone who knows this
becomes prosperous and famous.

3 As regards its western opening — it is the in-breath, it is speech, it is the fire.
And one should venerate it as the luster of sacred knowledge and as foodstuff. Any-
one who knows this becomes full of the luster of sacred knowledge and an eater of
food.

4 As regards its northern opening — it is the link-breath, it is the mind, it is the
rain. And one should venerate it as renown and beauty. Anyone who knows this
becomes renowned and beautiful.

5 As regards its upper opening — it is the up-breath, it is the wind, it is space.
And one should venerate it as vigor and might. Anyone who knows this becomes
vigorous and mighty.

6 These, indeed, are the five courtiers of brahman, the doorkeepers of heaven.

When someone knows these five courtiers of brahman, these doorkeepers of

heaven, in this way — a hero will be born to his family, and he will go to heaven.

207

3 . 13.7

The Early Upanisads

3TF iKcf: CRT Rdl vrtilfcl<{f^ci R^d:^^
cil^o|R4 RTF dFfRFRl^RFFcT: ^flfrl: I cR%T ffe 2 I )V9 1 i

TfWiRlRjHH f^THTfcf | dR^RT ^IMtcl
R^f^rrrf^ 1 rffct 2 ^Fn^pfrfcT I cRr^ f ^ RrgRRftcr I
FgW: ^cfr FRfcT F TlR' F tRt % \\ 6 \\

1 1 ffcf RFtFF: 1 1

R# FfRcfF ^r dWR^Rfcr 5TRT RR TCftcT I m~ ^ ^rnr: g^jt

^wr ffRt crrt sttf ffRt I f fR ^pffcr 1 1 ? 1 1

RRtRF: SRWftRT FTFR: FFTFfcF FrFTFTRRT H^rff rRftF:

RcfW: U^W~: hRR| d. tWMlS^ ItR: 1 IRII RT F 3TTrRFd^Rrsnft-
FTRfftFf FFTST Ffw 3FTFTFW FTFTTFRFI^TgT I tnsr F 'a
oR1F~Rfft c5Rt«I: IUII

fRffT RoFTF: fRfRT: Ffer: FRf^TFFiFTTfTSF [WTTFF ‘ I T^F F
^irdw^t I l Rafter: fft wi^r r

RRRFcFTfeT I jjfcT f FTTf Sllf^FF FlfeeF: I |V| I

1 1 ffcT FJRf: RP>F: 1 1

awRqikc Ft# FRffjfr r ^sftRRr I
ftsfT ft 3RF SFTtFT #WtrR Rtfr l
f 3 iTTsr fttstT ^FHRrfM^gRrf Rrft 1 1 ? 1 1

RTF RRff R/^JHIF I FfFTRT RTF ^RrqT I Fit RTF STcM" I §^cTT
RTFltHt I cTTFT dlg^dF: I F F T^rfF FFT R5lt FcF ^ T ^Rtf
RtftfcT I FtSiRfcnfF RTF RrF FcF tF I FT gFFtf RFF I R 1 1

3Tf^7 RTRt 3TFRTFRT F^RT I

208

Chandogya Upanisad

3.15.3

7 - 8 Now, far above here the light that shines from heaven on the backs of every-
thing, on the backs of all things, in the very highest of the high worlds— it is clearly
this very same light here within a man. We see it when, on touching the body, we
feel the warmth within it. We hear it when, as we press our ears shut, we hear
something like the hum and the noise of a blazing fire. One should venerate this
light as something seen and heard. Anyone who knows this will become handsome
and famous.

M Brahman, you see, is this whole world. With inner tranquillity, one should
venerate it as jaldn.

Now, then, man is undoubtedly made of resolve. What a man becomes on
departing from here after death is in accordance with his resolve in this world. So he
should make this resolve:

2-3 “This self ( atman ) of mine that lies deep within my heart — it is made of
mind; the vital functions (prana ) are its physical form; luminous is its appearance;
the real is its intention; space is its essence (atman)-, it contains all actions, all de-
sires, all smells, and all tastes; it has captured this whole world; it neither speaks nor
pays any heed.

“This self (atman) of mine that lies deep within my heart — it is smaller than a
grain of rice or barley, smaller than a mustard seed, smaller even than a millet grain
or a millet kernel; but it is larger than the earth, larger than the intermediate region,
larger than the sky, larger even than all these worlds put together.

4 “This self (atman) of mine that lies deep within my heart — it contains all ac-
tions, all desires, all smells, and all tastes; it has captured this whole world; it nei-
ther speaks nor pays any heed.

“It is brahman. On departing from here after death, I will become that.”

A man who has this resolve is never beset at all with doubts. This is what
Sandilya used to say.

This chest does not decay!

Its cavity — the intermediate region
Its bottom — the earth
Its corners — the quarters
Its opening above — the sky
This chest contains wealth.

In it this whole universe rests.

2 Its eastern quarter is called Offering Ladle. Its southern quarter is called Con-
quering. Its western quarter is called Royal. Its northern quarter is called
Prosperous. The offspring of these quarters is the wind. Anyone who knows that, in
this way, the offspring of the quarters is the wind will not mourn the loss of a son.

“I am a man who knows that, in this way, the offspring of the quarters is the
wind. So may I not have to mourn the loss of a son.

3 Together with so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so,

I turn to the undecaying chest for protection.

209

3 . 15.3

The Early Upanisads

RW RRtsWWRTFRT W: awt 31WFWTT I

•0 0-0 C\ vO o o

gw: RRtswwgwfrr w aarf wwgwwrr 11311

a wwrt aw aw fftr I awr w ft at gw wftf ftw I ww
cTWnafrW IIYII

aw watt gr aw ftr 5M aat^wf^r aat ftr aw feta
aattaa Mr 1 1

3w watt gw: aw fwft Rat art aw 3Trftw aw feta
aaaraa 1 1^ 1 1

■w waft w. aw fc*ptt aart aatt afar writ aw feta
cicala aaaraa Mall

1 1 ffcT aww?r: WW: 1 1

awT WIW W: t cW arft agft?rftatfft WW:WT I agf^T 5T-
cW^RT Witt I Wt 5W:WW I cIW WWtwrarfT: I aWT WTW WW: I
af tit at awaftr 1 1 ? 1 1 ef ttaftawaft ftttgaatca wwrt I awT

ara ft t awaat wrf^t wwgwgfrfcr w awprf agf ast atr
tctattw 1 1 ata 2 w a^wrtr a aatr IRII

aa artr agwwTf^aafft awrwfta aaaa I aeprearftfrwRr
ft^r I twt awltt war I aara wr awraar: I awr ara wn I

-O ■n <5

qfr tit at traaftr 1 13 1 1 a ttaftaaaltr ftttgarrtw aara I awr
wr ft t awattr aaa ^Rflwwwwwgtlcr rtf await wwf wt aar
ftt af lt fr r 1 ata cw wmr w Raftr iivii

aa WTWWWcwrfeTwtrft agtlwaw I awaanftsra^Rr waft I
awa gtfaaaaa I awarftear aaraar: I awr araiftear I af fit
atRTWt I in II a ttaftaaaft ftitgiei^lca aara 1 ai u ir wiftwrr ft
t rjttwrwwgrgtcrgtfcT rtf mi^i h s-h iftcw nl Rat aft ftaTRfttfcT I
w!a aa taratr ta wafer IKII

21 0

Chandogya Upanisad

3.16.6

Together with so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so,

I turn to the breath for protection.

Together with so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so,

I turn to bhur for protection.

Together with so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so,

I turn to bhuvas for protection.

Together with so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so,

I turn to svar for protection.

4 “The breath is clearly this entire creation, everything there is. So, when I said,
‘I turn to the breath,’ it was to this that I thereby turned for protection.

5 “And when I said, ‘I turn to bhur for protection,’ what I said thereby was: ‘I
turn to the earth for protection. I turn to the intermediate region for protection. I turn
to the sky for protection.’

6 “And when I said, ‘I turn to bhuvas for protection,’ what I said thereby was: ‘I
turn to the fire for protection. I turn to the wind for protection. I turn to the sun for
protection.’

7 “And when I said, ‘I turn to svar for protection,’ what I said thereby was: ‘I
turn to the Rgveda for protection. I turn to the Yajurveda for protection. I turn to the
Samaveda for protection.’”

1 C - > Now, the sacrifice is a man. His first twenty-four years constitute the
JL O morning pressing of Soma. The Gayatri meter has twenty-four syllables,
and so the morning pressing of Soma is carried out with the Gayatri. To this, there-
fore, are linked the Vasus. The Vasus are the breaths, for they make ( vasayanti ) this
whole world dwell securely. 2 If someone happens to be afflicted with any sickness
during this period of life, let him say: “O Breaths! O Vasus! May this morning of-
fering of mine continue until the midday offering! May I — the sacrifice — not perish
amid the breaths, amid the Vasus!” He is sure to recover from it and become
healthy again.

3 And his next forty-four years constitute the midday pressing of Soma. The
Tristubh meter has forty-four syllables, and so the midday pressing of Soma is car-
ried out with the Tristubh. To this, therefore, are linked the Rudras. The Rudras are
the breaths, for they make this whole world weep ( rodayanti ). 4 If someone happens
to be afflicted with any sickness during this period of life, let him say: “O Breaths!
O Rudras! May this midday offering of mine continue until the third offering! May
I — the sacrifice — not perish amid the breaths, amid the Rudras!” He is sure to re-
cover from it and become healthy again.

5 And finally, his next forty-eight years constitute the third pressing of Soma.
The Jagatl meter has forty-eight syllables, and so the third pressing of Soma is
carried out with the Jagatl. To this, therefore, are linked the Adityas. The Adityas
are the breaths, for they take back ( adadate ) this whole world. 6 If someone happens
to be afflicted with any sickness during this period of life, let him say: “O Breaths!
O Adityas! May this third offering of mine continue until the end of my full life
span! May I — the sacrifice — not perish amid the breaths, amid the Adityas!” He is
sure to recover from it and become healthy again.

211

3.16.7

The Early Upanisads

w t" cifew ^rtt^r ^?r^r: I w W ?r

T ^TTfrfrT I ?r w ’TteST ^ d-H^cf cf | qr % tfr^T ^pfecT ^McT F i^r

ifF I Ivsl I

1 1 ?frr tfrg^n w^-. 1 1

& ^fcWfrfcT 3TPT Wet -1 cTT 3TW 1 1 ? 1 1 3W W^lfct

qf^RfcT qwf rTpnf^cf IRII 3W WTfcT WT^fc! ZF%T ^RfcT
'dpCWd cltfcT IUII 3W Wfr ^IW^RTffgT ctT W

'S^m: IUII

cfFTRlf: ?Tt^TcWn^frT I gW#IH dcf I WFmTWW: IlHlI
d«tdu , ernr «ni^r: fw ^^tgwit^Twr I arftiw t^r w wm ? I
^wtcWtlTTcPt afcHTlI d 1% ^ WT R 1 d d -bftfcl' I cTtcT t”
■wt PW: IUII

3i iRc^dHT tcRf: 1 1

3$FT cmTTFrft ^ftfcT: qi^RT WFT I

w: 2 Wtf ^t 1 ^WT tffir I

31 Jl-H ^TtfcT^rFfl^rfcr 'T<tllcld'ddlt|fc1 IUII

1 1 ^fcT CTHW ??W: 1 1

TRt sT^RT#^ ! ^TWnWT I aRTTf^tWT I 3TTcFWTt sT^T I fcg"-

wnf^w wmft wftitwt ^ II? II

cT^d^tqr^ w I ww: 5fW: W: ^ ^ I W"

W1 ['(fTR; I wiftltwr I 3#-: q^t Wfg-. TK 3TTf^W: TRt fef: <TW I
VRcJT&MTrH xRlftUdd IRII

cTFlT s^W31J#: W: I PtsftRT 3?l)Rq| Flfct cFTfcT ^ I Piter xT
cFTfcT xT 4?Mt 4$mi 4 $14^61 -f P - ^ I U 1 1

aw TTcf ^Fra^t: W: I ^ PTFTT wrfrfW Plfct W rPTfeT F I FlfcT
xT dPfct xf HftRqt WTOT ^W^TT F ^ I Ul I

212

Chandogya Upanisad

3.18.4

7 Surely it was this thatMahidasa Aitareya knew when he said: “I am not going
to die because of it. So why do you have to afflict me with this?” And he lived to be
one hundred and sixteen. Anyone who knows this will also live to be one hundred
and sixteen.

i TJ When a man is hungry, thirsty, and without pleasures — that is his sacrificial
X / consecration; 2 and when he eats, drinks, and enjoys pleasures- — by that he
performs the preparatory rites; 3 when he laughs, feasts, and has sex — by that he
sings the chants and performs the recitations; 4 austerity, generosity, integrity, non-
injury, and truthfulness — these are his sacrificial gifts.

5 Therefore, they say: “He will press the Soma! He has pressed the Soma for
himself!” That is, indeed, his regeneration. The bath after the sacrifice is simply his
death.

6 After Ghora Angirasa had taught the same thing to Krsna, the son of Devaki,
he continued — he was then altogether free from desires and at the point of death:
“one should turn to these three for protection: ‘You are the undecaying! You are the
imperishable! You are fortified by breath!’” In this connection, there are these two
Rg verses:

7 Then they see the morning light of the primeval seed,

The light that gleams from beyond the sky.

Far beyond the surrounding darkness,
We see the highest light!

We see the highest shine!

To the god of gods,

To the supreme light,

To the sun,

We have gone!

'1 O With respect to the bodily sphere (at man), one should venerate: “ Brahman
JL O is the mind,” and, with respect to the divine sphere: “Brahman is space.” In
this way, substitution is carried out in both spheres — both with respect to the bodily
sphere and with respect to the divine sphere.

2 Now, brahman here is four-legged — with respect to the bodily sphere, speech
is one leg, breath is another, sight is the third, and hearing is the fourth; and with
respect to the divine sphere, the fire is one leg, the wind is another, the sun is the
third, and the quarters are the fourth. In this way, substitution is carried out in both
spheres — both with respect to the bodily sphere and with respect to the divine
sphere.

30ne of brahman’s four legs is speech. With the fire as its light, it gleams and
glows. Anyone who knows this gleams and glows with fame, glory, and the luster
of sacred knowledge.

4 Another of brahman’s four legs is breath. With the wind as its light, it gleams
and glows. Anyone who knows this gleams and glows with fame, glory, and the
luster of sacred knowledge.

213

3 . 18.5

The Early Upanisads

mg^q irq I q mf^qrq mrRmr mirr q qq-Rr q I rtRt

q cPlfcT q qffcqf qw s^T^ffM q irq ^q IRII

qRRrq irq I q RffyvRTRFr mf^r q mrRr q l infer q

cPTfcT q gjfafr WffT q qqr 3q q qq ^q 1 I R 1 1

1 1 ffet qmrqST: Fm: 1 1

mf^ufr ^?TT^r: I m^rumwmw 1 qqi^qw mrfftq I qcqqRftq l
qqrqqqq I ctqqq Prefer ! qmqcqqq wrm i qf^raq I cf
3rnwrr^ FTF q qqof mqqdW IRII qqqmf I Rc^mf FT

€t: | qsqqTf ^ q4cU: I mpq q %R: 2 I RT qnqqw RST: I
qqqfq^qm q qgq: IRII mq qmqmqd mrsdimRcq-. I t mqRTq
ntwr n^qfs^qfri mqqqff&r q vjqrf=r q? q rirt: I qmrdqilqq nfer
rnqrqq stfer mm q^cFffcRfrrmf^ Hefifar q Renf^r q^ q 1 rtrt: IRII

q q- qmlq f qgM'!ioRq sRfRRiqt I mwTTqfr 1 q q^f qrrnfr mm arr
q m iiym

1 1 qmtqf^q: Fm: 1 1

II ffeT ^rftmhsqTq: II

’ftmqq: mgj^qr 1 qgqr4t <i^w 3qq I q q q#q mcr-
qrnmrwq^ qfq qq mqqmqoiRV : IRII

am q fqr taqmfci%: i fqr fqq«prrq qr frsftr
qgRr qrqgff: qlqiqaqq tut f^qr aqtfeRTqq mm Rqr^tmw rt
mfFfWrr 2 IRII mj w me: mqqiq qmr 1 i)Ri)dcRm R^qrRftq 2
tqqRTc^fcT I qt J qq 3W 3 "W ffeT IRII

qm cpqrq f^RidiqitRqr: 1 Ref qqRrq^fcr qffmq mm

qrer ^RRd I qmr^q q?q ^q q r^ci^tf $fd I |yi i

cf^ w mmgfcn dlmqq mngmq I q w qf^mriR qq ^imqmnqrfiR
f qqmRftq t=W RTFffcT 1 qt J W Rqmf tw flcr IRII

214

Chanclogya Upanisad

4.1.5

5 The third of brahman’s four legs is sight. With the sun as its light, it gleams
and glows. Anyone who knows this gleams and glows with fame, glory, and the
luster of sacred knowledge.

6 The fourth of brahman’s four legs is hearing. With the quarters as its light, it
gleams and glows. Anyone who knows this gleams and glows with fame, glory, and
the luster of sacred knowledge.

"1 Q “Brahman is the sun” — that is the rule of substitution. Here is a further ex-
X y planation of it.

In the beginning this world was simply what is nonexisting; and what is exist-
ing was that. It then developed and formed into an egg. It lay there for a full year
and then it hatched, splitting in two, one half becoming silver and the other half
gold. 2 The silver half is this earth, while the golden half is the sky. The outer mem-
brane is the mountains; the inner membrane, the clouds and the mist; the veins, the
rivers; and the amniotic fluid, the ocean. 3 Now, the hatchling that was born was the
sun up there. And as it was being born, cries of joy and loud cheers rose up in cele-
bration, as did all beings and all desires. Therefore, every time the sun rises and
every time it returns, cries of joy and loud cheers rise up in celebration, as do all
beings and all their hopes.

4 When someone knows this and venerates brahman as the sun, he can certainly
expect that the pleasing sound of cheering will reach his ears and delight him.

ADHYAYA 4

1 There was one Janasruti Pautrayana, a man who was totally devoted to giving
and used to give a lot, a man who gave a lot of cooked food. He had hospices
built everywhere, thinking: “People will eat food from me everywhere.”

2 Now, it so happened that some wild geese were flying overhead at night, and
one of them said to another: “Hey, Bright-Eyes! Look out, Bright-Eyes! Look, a
light like that of Janasruti Pautrayana has spread out through the sky. Don’t touch it,
if you don’t want to be burnt.”

3 The other replied: “Come now! Given who he is, why do you speak of him as
if he were Raikva, the gatherer?”

“That man — how is he Raikva, the gatherer?”

4 “As the lower throws all go to the one who wins with the highest throw of the
dice, so whatever good things people may do, all that goes to him. I say the same of
anyone who knows what Raikva knows.”

5 Now, Janasruti Pautrayana overheard this conversation, and, as soon as he got
up in the morning, he said to his steward: “Look, my man! [This is what I heard:]

“ ‘Why do you speak of him as if he were Raikva, the gatherer?’ ‘That
man — how is he Raikva, the gatherer?’

215

4 . 1.6

The Early Upanisads

W ^ciW ftPldlillsrfeqT: 1 cT^fira^fcT qf^bxi 5pm

FIf F#tT I FFltF R?T ^F F F%gW ^fcT I K 1 1

F F ^IrtlPlsr dlf^rfcT Fc^FTF I IT gl<3M F~rrf ^I^IFTF^WT
d^d^fcr" l M I ?frsgw??3^Fr fwr ^wwfFrMR 1 l f ft^r
cF J W: HRFT tw F^cT I 3TF fTCR F^T F ^rF3Tt I F F
Fc^TW I IF 1 1

1 1 F^cT FW: FTW: 1 1

cJf F RFT^fcT: ftFTW: FF FRTlf^ W ftWclM cTFTFIF FtcT-
FFFT I # FTRRF II ? II SR FRTTf^ FFTRT ftsF^FFWfftF: I

3R TT F?ft' RTFT ^Fcff STT% FT ^TTIWR ffcf I R II cPT F FT: F^-
dMI^'cR 1 #F FF ^^RfeFfcT I cTJ F FRg%: ^FTW:
w ftWciM FFIFR FfcTFsRr 1 1^1 1 if FT^K I
EW WW f^^FRRcT^FT FF 'FTFTF FFTT 3T%r FT RTF:

FTTEftfcT I IF 1 1

Chandogya Upanisad

4.3.6

6 “ ‘As the lower throws all go to the one who wins with the highest throw
of the dice, so whatever good things people may do, all that goes to him. I
say the same of anyone who knows what Raikva knows.’”

7 The steward searched for Raikva and returned, saying: “I didn’t find him.”
Janasruti told him: “Look for him, my man, in a place where one would search for a
non-Brahmin.”

8 The steward respectfully approached a man under a cart scratching his sores
and asked: “Sir, are you Raikva, the gatherer?” The man replied: “Yes, I am.” The
steward then returned, saying: “I did find him.”

2 Taking with him six hundred cows, a gold necklace, and a carriage drawn by a
she-mule, Janasruti Pautrayana went back to Raikva and said to him: 2 “Raikva,
here are six hundred cows, a gold necklace, and a carriage drawn by a she-mule.
Please, sir, teach me the deity that you venerate.” 3 But Raikva replied: “Hey, you!
Drive them back to your place, Sudra! Keep your goods and your cows!”

Then, taking with him a thousand cows, a gold necklace, a carnage drawn by a
she-mule, and his daughter, Janasruti Pautrayana went back to him once again 4 and
said: “Raikva, here are a thousand cows, a gold necklace, and a carriage drawn by a
she-mule, here is a wife, and here is the village where you live. Sir, please teach
me.

5 Lifting up her face, Raikva said: “Hey you! Drive them to my place, Sudra!
With just this face you would have swindled me!”

Now, these villages among the Mahavrsa called Raikvaparna stand where
Janasruti lived with Raikva. And this is what Raikva told him.

3 “The gatherer, clearly, is the wind. So, when a fire goes out, it is into the wind
that it passes; when the sun sets, it is into the wind that it passes; when the
moon sets, it is into the wind that it passes; 2 and when water evaporates, it is into
the wind that it passes. For it is the wind that gathers all these.”

That was with respect to the divine sphere. 3 Next, with respect to the body
( atnian ) —

“The gatherer, clearly, is the breath. So, when a man sleeps, it is into the breath
that his speech passes; it is also into the breath that sight, hearing, and mind pass.
For it is the breath that gathers all these.

4 “These, then, are the two gatherers — the wind among the deities and the
breath among the vital functions (prana).

5 “Once, while food was being served to Saunaka Kapeya and Abhipratin
Kaksaseni, a vedic student begged for almsfood from them. But they did not give
him any. 6 The student then told them:

‘One god has swallowed four mighty ones!

Who is he, the guardian of the world?

Mortals do not see him, Kapeya,

Though, Abhipratin, he’s present everywhere!

217

The Early Upanisads

? T^ 3T cfFTT ^cT5T 3

cTf W ^T^T: qfci J -l'<H': 5Tc^TR]

^ I cH I dPlcll ^afFlt

t sflTdlR^qidH^ ^xTT?# f^TTftfrT 1 1 19 1 1
dW ;j f : I ^ 3T l^T qo^jl^l 55T ^rT

J ^5T I t^TT I Tff

wc^kt ^T^fcr cr tt^t *r ^ 1 1^ 1 1

1 1 ffcT ^cf^T: 1 1

cTWTc

l?fl W

I ddlrtl cf H I -H I ?

<5

sfcfW ftoT IRII

# f^cr-

T #R?

o

m *rf

R5T ^ Hldl^dlW

iivii

ITT I r^TT T

da^lcll dT

cfT W Wf¥ d'Tg: I I'd I

ffcT ^TcPf: ^ng- :

#r ! I W ffcT f

iPuj

Chandogya Upanisad

4.5.2

You have not given this food,

To a man to whom it’s due!’

7 “Then Saunaka Kapeya reflected upon it for a while and gave this reply:

‘He’s the self ( atman ) of the gods, the father of creatures!

The wise devourer with golden teeth!

They say his greatness is great.

Who eats what’s not food without being eaten!

“ ‘Thus, O student, do we venerate it. Give this man some almsfood!’ 8 So they
gave him some.

“The former five and the latter five make a total of ten. And they are the high-
est throw of the dice. In all the quarters, therefore, ten, the highest throw of the dice,
is just food. It is the Viraj meter, the eater of food. Viraj has sunk its teeth into this
whole world. When someone knows this — he sinks his teeth into the whole world;
he becomes an eater of food.”

4 One day Satyakama Jabala said to his mother Jabala: “Mother, I want to be-
come a vedic student. So tell me what my lineage is,” 2 She replied:. “Son, I
don’t know what your lineage is. I was young when I had you. I was a maid then
and had a lot of relationships. As such, it is impossible for me to say what your line-
age is. But my name is Jabala, and your name is Satyakama So you should simply
say that you are Satyakama Jabala.”

3 He went to Haridrumata Gautama then and said: “Sir, I want to live under you
as a vedic student. I come to you, sir, as your student.”

4 Haridrumata asked him: “Son, what is your lineage?” And he replied: “Sir, I
don’t know what my lineage is. When I asked my mother, she replied: ‘I was young
when I had you. I was a maid then and had a lot of relationships. As such, it is im-
possible for me to say what your lineage is. But my name is Jabala, and your name
is Satyakama.’ So I am Satyakama Jabala, sir.”

^Haridrumata then told him: “Who but a Brahmin could speak like that! Fetch
some firewood, son. I will perform your initiation. You have not strayed from the
truth.” So he initiated the boy and, picking out four hundred of the most skinny and
feeble cows, told him: “Son, look after these.” As he was driving them away, Sat-
yakama answered back: “I will not return without a thousand!” He lived away for a
number of years, and when the cows had increased to a thousand this is what hap-
pened.

5 The bull called out to him: “Satyakama!” He responded: “Sir?” The bull said:
“Son, we have reached a thousand. Take us back to the teacher’s house, 2 and I
will tell you one quarter of brahman."

“Please tell me, sir.”

And the bull told him: “One-sixteenth of it is the eastern quarter; one-sixteenth
is the western quarter; one-sixteenth is the southern quarter; and one-sixteenth is the

219

4 . 5.2

The Early JJpanisads

RWcTf I ScfNt R^rtl I ^%cr|T Recoil I B'41 Rl R^c 5T I t" TTTRT

tTjc^^pjj-; g^xn^rr 1 1^| |

F q- TR sT^FR yw^Tft^4l^

wfcf I 9cbl$ldcil 5' ciTcMo^-Mfct F tgrrR' RRt^gMiTT TlR SljFT:

4<^i«icjiPr^wr irii

1 1 ftcT T3FTT: W*g: 1 1

srfRR tR etMtT I tt f # gR *n RRr^iw^K | err wfRnR
^14lf^wraw TIT TW R^FTraTT q^R: R1|-41 mR^I 1 1 ? 1 1
cFrf^g^r THFWR ReT I W RcT W RfcT^TW IUII s^FT: #RT
cT qR srarRfrr I $RRr R ^qR-iRr l crR Rettf I gfRR ^t I 3RrfRr

=bcil I R: <^rtl I TTg^: '-Tral I T^T R Rt?T qRt ITsigRnSTRT-

4I4IT I R i I TT Tf M,dT|=l' fRgTWgWcT qR ^^n^^dlR<^HlRvi r c1 c IH~
R-H ^)cf5 ^tRcT I 3H*-d=ld'l' f eilcblcwldfcl M,c1 ^ c< RgRrgWcJ' 4 R

W^r'^TRT^cg’Tl'^' IIV||

1 1 ffcf W: W&: I !

tnRr qR RRcT I TT f # FcT Tjr 3rf^FnW^R' I cTT FTTIRbW

wgigwdiRgqriqwiq' tit wr RRFTTwr qrgrRr: qiTfqtqfRRsT II ? 1 1

# frr ^rf^r^m^K trwfh RR I wr Rcr R^g^rr HR I
s^FT: ^RT cf qR sMl'Rfcl I ?RRr R WTTfReT I cRR FfaFT I 3T%:
ctm I gR: cfff I ^': I Rru^w I gw R R«t ■■qgwor: qRt

s^Rt I R 1 1 *r f rgRRr fRRrerg'E^ qR sfrRr rfR-

TgqTTrT RlR^MRRglR fRcT I RtfRwcR 1" RR^TfRcT F gcRw
Tit st^Flt ||Y||

1 1 ReT TITPT: WW- 1 1

T|dJJfc£ qR RRR I F f R R" FT 3lftOTIW4W I cTT F^RR^tR

•Vv3 C\

^g^TTTTrftrgwmrRT qr tw TfiRFTrm'F qraiRr: y r|q>i1Rt$r 1 1? 1 1

220

Chandogya Upanisad

4.8.1

northern quarter. Consisting of these four-sixteenths, this quarter of brahman is
named Far-flung, my son.

3 “When someone knows this and venerates this quarter of brahman consisting
of four-sixteenths as Far-flung, he will become far-flung in this world. A man will
win far-flung worlds, when he knows this and venerates this quarter of brahman
consisting of four-sixteenths as Far-flung.”

6 The bull continued: “The fire will tell you another quarter.” The next morning
Satyakama drove the cows on, and at the spot where they happened to be
around sunset he built a fire, corralled the cows, fed the fire with wood, and sat
down behind the fire facing the east.

2 The fire then called out to him: “Satyakama !” He responded: “Sir?”

3 “Son, I will tell you a quarter of brahman.”

“Please tell me, sir.”

And the fire told him: “One-sixteenth of it is the earth; one-sixteenth is the in-
termediate region; one-sixteenth is the sky; and one-sixteenth is the ocean.
Consisting of these four-sixteenths, this quarter of brahman is named Limitless, my
son.

4 “When someone knows this and venerates the quarter of brahman consisting
of these four-sixteenths as Limitless, there will be no limits for him in this world. A
man will win limitless worlds, when he knows this and venerates the quarter of
brahman consisting of these four-sixteenths as Limitless.”

7 The fire continued: “A wild goose will tell you another quarter.” The next
morning Satyakama drove the cows on, and at the spot where they happened to
be around sunset he built a fire, corralled the cows, fed the fire with wood, and sat
down behind the fire facing the east.

2 A wild goose then flew down and called out to him: “Satyakama!” He re-
sponded: “Sir?”

3 “Son, I will tell you a quarter of brahman.”

“Please tell me, sir.”

And the wild goose told him: “One-sixteenth of it is the fire; one-sixteenth is
the sun; one-sixteenth is the moon; and one-sixteenth is lightning. Consisting of
these four-sixteenths, this quarter of brahman is named Radiant, my son.

4 “When someone knows this and venerates the quarter of brahman consisting
of these four-sixteenths as Radiant, he will become radiant in this world. A man will
win radiant worlds, when he knows this and venerates the quarter of brahman con-
sisting of these four-sixteenths as Radiant.”

8 The wild goose continued: “A waterbird will tell you another quarter.” The
next morning Satyakama drove the cows on, and at the spot where they hap-
pened to be around sunset he built a fire, corralled the cows, fed the fire with wood,
and sat down behind the fire facing the east.

221

4.8.2

The Early Upanisacls

cT 3 ffcT I RW ffcT F FrfcTfFFR \\R\\

s^W: *ffJF fr qit I sfcftcT *T WTTf^f?r I d*# f^TTF I RTF:

cbrtl I "spg": | Rfd I RR: dxF I T^T % <H)*d RTjEqf^y: qjcfr

sfFIF FlRdRRdTR il^ll

F R l^&T^gtchrf' RfR ^FT ^ i-McMcj iPi cgFTFcf RTRdRRTR-

RRfcr I sfFFiFcfcfr f c^R^nrfcr r tt^r rtr

RFTF RTRdRRTf^dgRT^ I|X||

1 1 ^fcT 3TFTT: TRRT: 1 1

sir fiRT%c5F l dRTRiRTsRRiR FdiRRR^ ^fcf I wet ffcr w srfcr-
II? II s^rf^cf t mw RT% I cFT R c^TJFFT^fcr I 3^4 RJe4*R
ffcT F RfcTdlT I ir RT^ 1 dRTd \\R\\ Ref #T *T Rddl[ 4 r?R

c\ N 0 c.

3TFrpfr^F f4m f4t4dr RTf^RR jnRcftfcr 1 I rR% Id^RtRTR I 3TR f r

f^Ff cf|Ri|fcl 4 lRi)fd 1 1 3 1 1

1 1 ffcT dRR: RPF: 1 1

^WFfcTT 1 ^ f cbmoiNH": RdTRFT FIR# ^FT^f^W I dFT F
giRR ci^uinfl^-cixiK 1 f f 'WT^R^cnRj^: rrtr4r*r f R rrt-

FcWcT i I ? 1 1 F dTRtRTR cTTTT I RF cRTRR:

qf^FtFT I RRFIW FfcT I cF# RRTHTR# 2 1 1 ^ 1 1

F F ^TTf^RTTf^ I dFNl4^l l4''M : 4 IFTRf^TFT I J RFRF-
5ftfcT I F #RR RfR RRRT RTRFcRRT: ! RTfM^T. wfa^iTsf^R I

dlFRIdrid' 1 1 3 1 1 3FR FWR: FR^t I dHt spiR R: R^RT^d I

£RTR# RRRF^fcF I cR# Fff: I RPRF SFT & RFT F RT^feT 11*11 F FfRTR I
f^FTRTRF RcHWT RFF I f^FTRPftfrT I cT fTR: I RgTR W

d^R WT I R^R FT d^R R^feT I RTF R fF# dRRPRT Rtf: IlHlI

1 1 ^fcT R$ih: FRF: 1 1

3TR fR RnfRdftSRFFTF '|f4FflFRRrf4cR ffcT I R I!T ^ lf4r4

F tTFTFHFftf^r 1 ll?ll F 1 F f^FlRWT I FRIJcf

222

Chandogya Upanisad

4 . 11.2

2 A waterbird then flew down and called out to him: “Satyakama!” He re-
sponded: “Sir?”

3 “Son, I will tell you a quarter of brahman.”

“Please tell me, sir.”

And the waterbird told him: “One-sixteenth of it is breath; one-sixteenth is
sight; one-sixteenth is hearing; and one-sixteenth is the mind. Consisting of these
four-sixteenths, this quarter of brahman is named Abode-possessing, my son.

4 “When someone knows this and venerates the quarter of brahman consisting
of these four-sixteenths as Abode -possessing, he will have an abode in this world. A
man will win worlds possessing abodes, when he knows this and venerates the
quarter of brahman consisting of these four-sixteenths as Abode-possessing.”

9 Finally he reached his teacher’s house. The teacher called out to him: “Satya-
kama!” He responded: “Sir?” 2 “Son, you have the glow of a man who knows
brahman ! Tell me — who taught you?”

“Other than human beings,” he acknowledged. “But, if it pleases you, sir, you
should teach it to me yourself, 3 for I have heard from people of your eminence that
knowledge leads one most securely to the goal only when it is learnt from a
teacher.” So he explained it to him, and, indeed, he did so without leaving anything
out.

1 n Upakosala Katnalayana once lived as a vedic student under Satyakama
JL Jabala and tended his fires for twelve years. Now, Satyakama, although he
permitted other students of his to return home, did not permit Upakosala to do so.
2 His wife then told him: “The student has performed his austerities and faithfully
tended the fires. Teach him before the fires beat you to it.” But Satyakama went on
a journey without ever teaching him.

3 Now, Upakosala became so afflicted that he stopped eating. His teacher’s wife
told him: “Come on, student, eat. Why have you stopped eating?” He told her: “The
desires that lurk within this man are many and bring various dangers. I am over-
whelmed by afflictions, and I will not eat.”

4 The fires then said to each other: “The student has performed his austerities
and faithfully tended us. So come, let us teach him.” And they told him: “ Brahman
is breath. Brahman is joy (ka). Brahman is space (kha).”

5 He replied: “I can understand that brahman is breath. But I don’t understand
how it can be joy or space.”

“Joy is the same as space,” they replied, “and space is the same as joy.” And
they explained to him both breath and space.

n Thereupon, the householder’s fire instructed him: “Earth, fire, food, and
sun — I am the person one sees in the sun; so I am all those.”

2 “When someone knows this and venerates him in this way — he rids himself of
bad actions; he provides himself with a world; he lives long and reaches the full

223

4.11.2

The Early Upanisads

Chandogya Upanisad

4.15.2

span of his life; and the line of his descendants will not die out. We will serve him
in this world and the next — when someone knows this and venerates him in this
way.”

i i") Then the southern fire instructed him: “The waters, the quarters, the stars,
_L jLm and the moon — I am the person one sees in the moon; so I am all those.”

2 “When someone knows this and venerates him in this way — he rids himself
of bad actions; he provides himself with a world; he lives long and reaches the full
span of his life; and the line of his descendants will not die out. We will serve him
in this world and the next — when someone knows this and venerates him in this
way.”

”1 O Finally, the offertorial fire instructed him: “Breath, space, sky, and light-
_L 'J ning — I am the person one sees in lightning; so I am all those.”

2 “When someone knows this and venerates him in this way — he rids himself of
bad actions; he provides himself with a world; he lives long and reaches the full
span of his life; and the line of his descendants will not die out. We will serve him
in this world and the next — when someone knows this and venerates him in this
way.”

M Then the fires told him: “Upakosala! Son, now you have this knowledge
both of ourselves and of the self ( atman ). Your teacher, however, will point
out the goal to you.”

His teacher finally returned. The teacher called out to him, “Upakosala!” 2 He
responded: “Sir?”

“Son, your face glows like that of a man who knows brahman. Tell me — who
taught you?”

“Who could possibly have taught me, sir?” — in so saying, he denies it in a way.
And alluding to the fires, he continued: “These look like this now, but they were
different.”

“What did they tell you, son?”

3 “This,” he acknowledged.

“They did indeed tell you about the worlds, son. But I will tell you that about
which it is said: ‘When someone knows it bad actions do not stick to him, just as
water does not stick to a lotus leaf.’”

“Sir, please teach me that.”

And this is what he told him.

"I PT “The person you see here in the eye — he is the self (atman),” he told him.

“He is the immortal free from fear; he is brahman. So, even if someone
pours water or ghee in that eye, it just runs to the two borders.

2 “They call him ‘Lovely-uniting’ ( samyadvama ), for all lovely things ( vama )

225

4 . 15.2

The Early Upanisads

RT 3- qcf qrRt; | rnsq f|- rf^r cfPTlft- qqfcT I qqrR- qFTlRt q~
^ 1 R II ^ ^ ^ YTTTFfr: | irq- % ^nfcT I qi% e?T%J

»nfcr q - ^ ^ llvii

3T^ qj $wif&m$w <g#cr qR w Trf^^i^TOTfqrl^r 1 1 arf^tsf : I
3if I sn^rPN^rra i**t ^ qmqdTT I qrqRr: wr-

cfTOT I ^i^^RKlf^c^FT I I TFZmt R^cfJT I dc^<?-

^TTFR: 2 I <ET ipnrfcT I R RIW: I R^T sfcT’TlTRTTr R

inwn^f qiqRfq^ 4 I mil

1 1 ^fcT qqR?r: ^fug-; 1 1

r f f qffr qt sq qqcr I r f qf>iq ^nfcr I q^r qf?rq qrf
R#r I cWrMi^ r w- I dw *fr qFfq qcRfr 1 1? 1 1

cRitr^icRf qw qfqqRrfcr hr l qrqr frcm^f^jcn^w^ l qr
qqurf>r qTcRjqT^- gq r qf^ft^rrarr rit rtrRt I R 1 1

1 feqrfcr I f^ssrcRi I qr q-tq^R qR qqr
t^T q%°T q^TTRT Rtq^rq-q'W qffT f^qfcT I q# RRcT q^PTFflR
Rtqfa I qr f^r qi^qT-wfcr Rll

3R qqf-;if?r sucRri^" t grr qRyi41qiqr rit oqqRqqir r

1 q- ^r^sRnrr I mil qr qqtwR qR rt qmiw Rrwrr
qcRnq: ql^rrwmqq' q?n qftfcitsfcr r qfMrn^xT qRTFfrsg
qfcrfcn^frr I qr gR R-qqRq IIMI

1 1 irfrr wmr. w^-. 1 1

q^imRieilcbiH^ciH^ 1 Rf d^di-uqT qqnRpqr I arffr gf^RT: I
qiqq^Rf^Tcf I snRw f^R 1 1 ? 1 1

qr Rifqqrat Rqrr srwTcTqqr I cnqrf ci^qnnT qqrTRrR I ^qi-q : I
qwpfqfq I qiHMiRcqid I R 1 1

c\ ^

qr Rt q# fRnRRW I dwiqd^RMraT qqrHrrffrr I ^R<rr: I
rMcT qqR | qqfqRr qrmw: I mil

<j -o

226

Chandogya Upanisad

4.17.3

come in concert ( abhisamyanti ) to him. Ail lovely things oome in concert also to
anyone who knows this.

3 “He is also ‘Lovely-leading’ ( vamani ), for he leads ( til ) all lovely things
iyama). Anyone who knows this also leads all lovely things.

4 “He is also ‘Shining’ ( bhamani ), for he shines in all the worlds. Anyone who
knows this also shines in all the worlds.

5 “Now, whether they perform a cremation for such a person or not, people like
him pass into the flame, from the flame into the day, from the day into the fortnight
of the waxing moon, from the fortnight of the waxing moon into the six months
when the sun moves north, from these months into the year, from the year into the
sun, from the sun into the moon, and from the moon into the lightning. Then a per-
son who is not human — he leads them to brahman. This is the path to the gods, the
path to brahman. Those who proceed along this path do not return to this human
condition.”

"1 / The wind that purifies — that is the sacrifice. The wind, as it moves, purifies
JL U this whole world. Because it purifies this whole world as it moves (yan), it
is the sacrifice (yajha).

Its two tracks are mind and speech. 1 2 One of those the Brahman priest con-
structs with his mind, while the Hotr, Adhvaryu, and Udgatr priests construct the
other with their speech.

If it happens that the Brahman priest breaks in and speaks after the start of the
morning litany and before its concluding verse, 3 * he constructs only one of the
tracks, while the other is left out. So his sacrifice founders, just like a one-legged
man, when he walks, or a cart, when it moves on just one wheel. And when the sac-
rifice founders, the patron of that sacrifice also founders. He becomes a pauper after
offering the sacrifice.

4 If, on the other hand, the Brahman priest does not break in and speak after the
start of the morning litany and before its concluding verse, the priests construct both
the tracks, and neither is left out. 5 So his sacrifice becomes steady, just like a man
walking with both feet, or a cart moving on both wheels. And when the sacrifice
becomes steady, the patron of the sacrifice also becomes steady. He becomes a rich
man after offering the sacrifice.

1 Hr Prajapati incubated the worlds. And as they were being incubated, he ex-
JL / tracted their essences — the fire from the earth, the wind from the inter-
mediate region, and the sun from the sky.

2 He incubated these three deities. And as they were being incubated, he ex-
tracted their essences — the Rg verses from the fire, the Yajus formulas from the
wind, and the Saman chants from the sun.

3 He incubated this triple Veda. And as they were being incubated, he extracted

their essences — the word bhur from the Rg verses, the word bhuvas from the Yajus

formulas, and the word svar from the Saman chants.

227

4 . 17.4

The Early Upanisads

cT^thl' ^Ttfcl ^jSqicf I qrqT^q qqqqqf 4T4qqf

JffTFT f^f^ST ?TWfcT l|V||

3m- qR wsr gq: F4T|fcr HW I q^TT^cf qq^r

qjqt cfr^q q^qf qwnq fafcsr qqqrfcr I Ik 1 1

qq qR qrqcfr fMcf w. qrnRqr^q4W ^pid I qq4q

qrat KTst qfFr qqmfcr l I k II

cRFfT c^RTT §^jf qqRTcT I §q*T qqq qsrcfT qj qprr 4t# ?ft#T
eil^ <41 eH qrq qiq q4 u rr I Iv9 1 1 qq4qr cJl^Hiqmr ci h iqwrqw
f^wq 4Wq w fafrsr qqqrRr I 4wfKfr r qr qq qqr qfqf^; q§rr
qqfcr \\<c\\ qq q qT qqwq°fr q^ft q^qRq q^rr qqRr I qqRq q qr qqr
qiqwqqr qrqr I

qcfr qq sqqrfrT q^q^fc! [K] qrqq: l
qf}W qdcqq^qRRTf^RKTfcr‘ 1 1

qqRnq t q§rr w qsprrq q^rai^^f^RKiirr I cTFTT^Mq qqrRr
^cfTcr Hi44f4q qRqfclqq 1 1 ? <=> 1 1

1 1 ^fcT rraqq. qroq. 1 1

II ^fcT q^qfssqrq: II

4r w t q q ^q q t wfcr I kmT qiq
^5^" ^kwsr ll?ll

qr q t qf^n s 5' 1 qq qRrqrr q qqqf qqfcr I qqqiq qRqsR I R 1 1
qr q t qfrfw ^q 5rfcT q fcr^qrf^RV rsfegf^nq 1 I qjgcjrq
sfrrw ll^ll

qr q t qqq ^q # qi# qqqr: qsrqr tqrsa - qr jmr I qfq qiq
qqar l |vi i

qr q qr qrqqq tqiqqq q sqnf qqfcr I qqr q 1 qr qrqqqqf I IK 1 1
qq q qqq qf%q% I qf ^qiqqfq# 4|qH<b41icr IKII R W

228

Chandogya Upanisad

5.1.7

4 So, if the sacrifice suffers an injury on account of a Rg verse, he should make
an offering in the householder’s fire with the words “bhuh svahal” This way he
binds any injury suffered by the Rg verses and the sacrifice, using the very essence
and power of the Rg verses.

5 And if the sacrifice suffers an injury on account of a Yajus formula, he should
make an offering in the southern fire with the words “bhuvah svahal ” This way he
binds any injury suffered by the Yajus formulas and the sacrifice, using the very
essence and power of the Yajus formulas.

6 And if the sacrifice suffers an injury on account of a Saman chant, he should
make an offering in the offertorial fire with the words “ svah svahal ” This way he
binds any injury suffered by the Saman chants and the sacrifice, using the very es-
sence and power of the Saman chants.

7 Just as one binds gold with salt, silver with gold, tin with silver, lead with tin,
copper with lead, wood with copper, and leather with wood, 8 so by the power of
these worlds and of these deities and of this triple Veda he binds an injury done to a
sacrifice. When one who knows this becomes the Brahman priest, that sacrifice is
equipped with healing medicine. 9-10 And when one who knows this becomes the
Brahman priest, that sacrifice inclines toward the north. There is this verse about the
Brahman priest who knows this:

Wherever it turns,

there a human goes.

Alone among the priests,
the Brahman protects,

Like a mare, the men of Kuru.

A Brahman priest who knows this protects the sacrifice, the patron of the sacri-
fice, and all the priests. Therefore, a man should select as his Brahman priest only
someone who knows this, and never someone who is ignorant of this.

ADHYAYA 5

I When a man knows the best and the greatest, he becomes the best and the
greatest. The best and the greatest is breath.

2 When a man knows the most excellent, he becomes the most excellent among
his people. The most excellent is speech.

3 When a man knows the firm base, he stands firm in this world and the next.
The firm base is sight.

4 When a man knows the correspondence ( sampad ), his desires, both divine and
human, are fulfilled (sampad-) for him. Correspondence is hearing.

5 When a man knows the refuge, he becomes a refuge for his people. The refuge
is the mind.

6 Once the vital functions (prana) were arguing about who among them was the
greatest, each claiming, “I am the greatest!” “I am the greatest!” 7 So these vital

229

5.1.7

The Early Upanisads

RWT: RJI'qfct WR# 1 ■T: ffcT I (TF^TTW qfprRT

$Tfrt Rfcrwd^cr f^cf w w: ?fcr I Iva 1 1

PT f" I ?TT dd oHT 5ftW T^r^fT^T^T Rj\jf)~-

f^gf^ild I W RST 3TW^ff: 5TFRT: RFPT ^RRT: R^rf

KTFRTf TR^f^icT I 5fM$l jf qR7 | \£ 1 1 ■q^^-t-Tj^rq | cirtRoH < 5TTW
q?c41c||xr ^nr^iw^ R^ftf^f^rfcr I wm arq^RT: rort: $rR
RRTT PRIT ^RrT: JSft^T STRRTt qqtdfafcl I qf^RT f Rg: IKIIafr#

tRRRq I cRBRqir qRr q^frqrq rrrircI,} qq^rgf^ I mr
*rf%Kr -sf^w^r: wiwx r. vwft rrtT wrw q$R?rapgqT ewx fr R#r-

f^rfcT I qf^T & #5PT 1 1 ? o 1 1 RTt fRRfRT I cRRcPT 3RT qf^RTR
qRRRRTcf Rwftf^f^TfcT I WT W 3TFRTT: RFRT: SfFtT RRlt PTR

cR3Rra^qr ^frt: I qf%t?r q rh 1 1 ? ? 1 1

aR -f HUT <T W gfR •'Hfa^fftcT-

RqrwRRter I ct fTpRFtRfr^: i wi^r I w r %^sf?r I rpr
T ftftfcT ! I n 1 1 3RT pr Rfg cfl^RTsf^T 1 PT c^R^#frT I 3PT

fr w ScX6-lf~- r3T dRU-Rh'^fcT 1 1 ? 3 1 1 3R trt ^TgcTTR

RT# ccf cTRWftfcT I 3TR pf RT R^lRlRRqf?R vT

cRTWRRqfrfrr 1 1 ?vi j ernrr t Rgfer q afRrf&r R I

RTRfcCpRRT^ I RFfr 'IrtcffPl fRffot RlfcT \ \Z\\\

1 1 ffcT 5PW: 1 1

*r #rrq %■ irsq nf^Mlfcr I qfM^f^qr r«t an ffcr

fTf : I cTgJ igTRRTRT I 3Rf f t -1 dPT 5RRPT I R f R gqf¥^ f^R-

qRq RRftffr 1 1 ? 1 1 ff wfarq ir qprr qf^cflRr I anq fief ftf : I
OTTg T IgRftrKRT: gWFWtqf^T^rrf^: qf^Rlfcr I RgRt f PTffr
RffcT I aR?fr ?■ qqfcT IRII

dT^xTRTcWPfr ^TRIc5t Jil^rl^' idlWlq K qip^p^WRT' 1

??TFFir i qWT^rpT f^R o^T^I : 5Rt|^: PTcR^TF^YfcT 1 1 ^ 1 1

3R aFTRRqFft prfr

TRT qi^q^rtRPTR' a^RFT RT|rWfPTPRT f?PT RTTcFT-

°H^d I |V| |

230

Chandogya Upanisad

5.2.4

functions went to Prajapati, their father, and asked: “Sir, who is the greatest among
us?” He told them: “The one, after whose departure the body appears to be in the
worst shape, is the greatest among you.”

8 So speech departed. After spending a year away, it returned and asked: “How
did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as the dumb would,
without speaking, but breathing with the breath, seeing with the eye, hearing with
the ear, and reflecting with the mind.” So speech reentered.

9 Then sight departed. After spending a year away, it returned and asked: “How
did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as the blind would,
without seeing, but breathing with the breath, speaking with speech, hearing with
the ear, and reflecting with the mind.” So sight reentered.

10 Then hearing departed. After spending a year away, it returned and asked:
“How did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as the deaf
would, without hearing, but breathing with the breath, speaking with speech, seeing
with the eye, and reflecting with the mind.” So hearing reentered.

11 Then the mind departed. After spending a year away, it returned and asked:
“How did you manage to live without me?” They replied: “We lived as simpletons
would, without reflecting, but breathing with the breath, speaking with speech, see-
ing with the eye, and hearing with the ear.” So the mind reentered.

12 Then, as breath was setting off, it so jerked all the other vital functions — in
the way a fine horse would jerk all the stakes to which it is tethered — that they all
gathered around him and implored: “Lord, please stay! You are the greatest among
us. Do not depart!”

13 Then speech told him: “As I am the most excellent, so you will be the most
excellent.” Sight told him: “As I am the firm base, so you will be the firm base.”
14 Hearing told him: “As I am correspondence, so you will be correspondence.” The
mind told him: “As I am the refuge, so you will be the refuge.”

15 Surely, people do not call these “speeches,” or “sights,” or “hearings,” or
“minds.” They call them only “breaths” [prana ), for only breath becomes all these.

2 Breath then asked: “What will be my food?” They replied: “Everything that is
here, right down to dogs and birds.” So this is how breath (ana) is actually food
(anna). Now, its open name is ana. For a man who knows this, there is nothing that
is not food.

2 Then he asked: “What will be my clothes?” They replied: “Water.” Therefore,
when people are preparing to eat, they surround that [food] with water both before
and after. He is thus used to receiving a garment; he does not remain naked.

3 After telling this to Gosruti Vaiyaghrapadya, Satyakama Jabala said: “Even if
one were to say this to a withered stump, it would sprout new branches and grow
new leaves.”

4 Now, if a man is striving to achieve greatness, he should do the following.
After undergoing the sacrificial consecration on the night of a new moon day, he
should prepare a mixture of every type of herb together with curd and honey on the
night of the full moon.

231

5 . 2.4

The Early Upanisads

sf^r^Fr 1 pr tqrrrwr^T I FFfdm-

cn^zr fFTr ^crwr^cf I f^r wcnfr-

=R%T I 3TTq?FrnT fc^T ^ WW% IIMI

W F^Fnwr sprier I 3mt ^triR-t I 3frt f|- t

l ?r % ^sr ^Mif^rcfcn I *r ft #w ^qTriftncri
wj I 3TfTit# sriwrilfcr ikii

^ ?§o%cFrqt 3rrqwfcr I

^c4N'mfcl' I

£PT I

y^MJrf^TrMNmfcl I
jjt WFT ritqflfcT H# ftricT I Ml

cftr xfw m qrwr^fT: #^rfcr I qrif&r sFri^ 3T

qiwfrsqw: 1 I ?r q% f^nt 1 q^riernpr ^Prifcr few \ \ 6 \\

cfeT Ml=b: I

W qr% wfer ffer# ^lf q^rfcT I

dT ^I'flqi-dR^^yP)^^ df^d^Pi^fe 1 I Kll

1 1 ^fcT fecffe: 1 1

%cFfejfT^feT: Mo-xj'leJHT fedld^qRT I cT W Jf^TfofT ^dfrtddM I
^trtj ^iRmfefefe 1 I srr ft wr ^fer M?M

q^r qfe dK ft sfjt: iwftfer 1 I t wr ^ftr 1 ^mr ^wfen
^ft -2 I ^ 3^- ^fcT I qfefeqilHW' ffeFTTWT W o JMcfo^ ^fcT 3 I T
WT ffcT IKII

fe^r wt cfefe * fefecR fffe 1 I t ^r I w ww-
FT^cfwnr: ^dfelfcr I ; fe~ ^Fld $fe I K II

232

Chandogya Upanisad

5.3.3

He should offer an oblation of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the best! To the
greatest, svaha!” and pour the remainder into the mixture. 5 He should offer an ob-
lation of ghee in the fire, saying: “To the most excellent, svaha!” and pour the
remainder into the mixture. He should offer an oblation of ghee in the fire, saying:
“To the firm base, svaha!” and pour the remainder into the mixture. He should offer
an oblation of ghee in the fire, saying: “To correspondence, svaha!” and pour the
remainder into the mixture. He should offer an oblation of ghee in the fire, saying:
“To the refuge, svaha!” and pour the remainder into the mixture.

6 He then slides back stealthily and, taking some of the mixture in his cupped
hands, recites softly: “You are power ( ama ), for this whole world is at your side
( ama ). For he is the best and greatest, the king and ruler. May he make me fore-
most! May he lead me to greatness! May he make me a king and ruler! May I
become this whole world!”

7 Then, as he recites this Rg verse, he takes a sip of the mixture at each foot of
the verse:

“We choose that [food] of Savitr,”

With that he takes a sip.

“[that] food of the god [Savitr],”

With that he takes a sip.

“the greatest, the best creator of all.”

With that he takes a sip.

“Bhaga’s rich bounty would we create for ourselves.”

With that he drinks the whole of the mixture.

8 He then cleans the goblet or cup and lies down behind the fire on either a skin
or the bare ground, remaining silent and unresistant. If he sees a woman, he should
know that his rite has been successful. 9 In this connection, there is this verse:

When a man sees a woman in his dreams
During a rite to obtain a wish;

He should recognize its success,

In that dream vision.

3 Svetaketu, the son of Aruni, came one day into the assembly of the land of
Pancala. Pravahana Jaivali asked him: “Son, did your father teach you?”
Svetaketu replied: “Yes indeed, my lord.”

2 “Do you know where people go from here when they die?”

“No, my lord.”

“Do you know how they return again?”

“No, my lord.”

“Do you know how the two paths — the path to the gods and the path to the fa-
thers — take different turns?”

“No, my lord.”

3 “Do you know how that world up there is not filled up?”

“No, my lord.”

“Do you know how at the fifth offering the water takes on a human voice?”

“Not at all, my lord.”

233

5 . 3.4

The Early Upanisads

SPTTJ 1 f^>FF ftpFfccfrFFr FT '^FiPl r fsTWTF I FF FFjftntr I#-
t"fcT I F fTFFT: ftgdtntFTF I F ^FFHgftw FTF ItpF' ft ffftf-
f£Iff FnMtrfci I iv 1 1 qw in - ff-ffs: r^rtet^tt^Ict I ctnt t^xFrnji^
f^FTgftfcr I f 1 ffanr w¥^ cftcFT^rr wiM 2 %fff ^ I fftf-
firnm^f^r ff cT FTFRrftfTt I in 1 1 f f tofr wftFtFiF I ft# f
rmfj# 1 w I f f strt: fftf f^ftf I f ftftf I ffjfft ffff

iftcTF f#FFT Ft ftNT ffcT I F #FF dtF FF^FTFF fcTFF I FT#F
ifFR^FF# F1FFFTFFTFTT#F # frftfcT I F F m ||^|| F F f#t

F^WTWFFFF I F ftFTF I FFT FT cF FIcM.qq: | F#F F FTFcFrf: 2
3F f#FT FIFFTFT FFSfcT I FFF!c[ F% Ff^F STFT#F FFTFFF^tfcT I
d<# sfTFPF I |V9 1 1

1 1 #cT ^cftT: FRF: 1 1

3R# FTF FlF# ifTcTFrltr: I cRFritrF ^F Ff#F I F5F FT fF I
3TFt^: I FFTFT ST^RJ: I F^FTf# f^Fffe5|T: 1 1 ? 1 1 dft^dRFafiV #F:
W differ I cfW FTgff: FTfT FdT FFFf# I R 1 1

1 1 Sjf^T FTT# <d u F: 1 1

F^Ft FTF iffcTFrltr: I cfFT FT^tF Ff#cT I 3TF fF: I iqf^.r#: I
3RTftFFRJ: I FlfFdt 1 1 1 ? 1 1 df^FFrftRF# ^FT: FTF FdTF

fffcT I cRFT 3TTg##f FFFfcT I R 1 1

1 1 ^ftr FRTF: TFF: 1 1

### FTF ttcTFlitr: I FFTT: FFcF<C T^F Ff#F I FIFF?# FF: I F^T-
I fetSFRT: I FFTFR^fT f^fefT: 1 1 ? 1 1 dRF^dltFF# tFR F#
'jJ^ffcT I cTFF 3Fgcl Td FFFfrT 1 1 1

1 1 ffcT W: ?sRF: 1 1

FFFt FTF #FFTf# I F5F FT#F Ff#F I RFTt E[F: I f^fTff: I FTgF-
fRH I FTF f#F§fc5fT: II? II dftd^dR^di# #FT FF vJffcT I FFTT anfrT
tF: FFFfcT 1 1^1 1

1 1 fltr FFF: TFF: 1 1

FtFT FTF FlcTFI%: I FPF FRF FF Ff#F I FfWFFdT F FF: I

234

Chandogya Upanisad

5.8.2

4 “Did you not say that you had been educated? Without knowing these things
how can anyone call himself educated?”

Deeply hurt, Svetaketu returned to his father’s house and told him: “Without
actually teaching me, I dare say, you told me, sir, that you had taught me! 5 That
excuse for a prince asked me five questions, and I couldn’t answer a single one of
them.”

The father said: “As you report them to me, son, I do not know the answer to
even one of them. If I had known them, how could I have not taught them to you?”

6 Gautama then came to the king’s place. When he arrived, the king received
him with respect. In the morning Gautama went into the assembly hall, and the king
said to him: “Gautama, sir, choose a gift of human riches.” Gautama responded:
“Keep your human riches, Your Majesty. Tell me exactly what you told my boy.”
The king became worried 7 and ordered him to stay a while longer. Finally he
told him: “As you have told me, Gautama, before you this knowledge has never
reached Brahmins. In all the worlds, therefore, government has belonged exclu-
sively to royalty.” The king then told him:

4 “A fire — that’s what the region up there is, Gautama. Its firewood is the sun; its
smoke is the sunbeams; its flame is the day; its embers are the moon; and its
sparks are the constellations. 2 In that very fire gods offer faith, and from that offer-
ing springs King Soma.

5 “A fire — that’s what a rain-cloud is, Gautama. Its firewood is the wind; its
smoke is the thundercloud; its flame is lightning; its embers are thunder; and its
sparks are hail. 2 In that very fire gods offer King Soma, and from that offering
springs rain.

6 “A fire — that’s what the earth is, Gautama. Its firewood is the year; its smoke
is space; its flame is the night; its embers are the quarters; and its sparks are the
intermediate quarters. 2 In that very fire gods offer rain, and from that offering
springs food.

7 “A fire — that’s what a man is, Gautama. His firewood is speech; his smoke is
breath; his flame is the tongue; his embers are sight; and his sparks are hearing.
2 In that very fire gods offer food, and from that offering springs semen.

8 “A fire — that’s what a woman is, Gautama. Her firewood is the vulva; when
she is asked to come close, that is her smoke; her flame is the vagina; when one
penetrates her, that is her embers; and her sparks are the climax. 2 In that very fire
gods offer semen, and from that offering springs the fetus.

235

5.8.1

The Early Upanisads

iTlPkFS: I pUTtM MfKr: I srf^FRJ II? 11 crfMMcT-

fM?# Mr Mr fffcr I crw anfMtf: MUM lull

1 1 ^fcT W: W: 1 1

ffrr g 1 q^^n^Ripwq-; ^rUTIM I rr ^wrjcrr Mf pt

pr pt irrmw: srfMpr pipipp" ^rmfr 1 1 ? 1 1 rr RicrT PTPpTgt MtUM I t
Mr fMMMfrs W net fMrr w q^crt Per. ^mrfr pUM lull

1 1 Mcr ppp": w&. 1 1

crt %: I ^ MMMr ssrax rrr ^hiM I MsfMrMMUrMMr l
3TfMfrsf : I srf I ^MTMqwrPTf^Mirr prMferpr 1 1 ? 1 1

TrrM^r: Mcrrpr I MpprpiMMmt I anl^iT^Kwr I prp ret f%-
cPT I cTcgMUTTFI^: 1 I F tUTT^T 3 WlfM I r^r M^PP PT^^TT 4 MM I U 1 1
srq- zr '|rr iTPT forger ^MMfrrat I M gpMMMppMr I ejptMMt I
■CTMrrqwr I srqrwrsrp^ MMUM piUMpt I %
pfUi lull PlMP": fMjMUPfr I U<2<McbK|cj?i$|.H I 3TT^7?17^f^TrHTf I

UP MPfr tt5tt I cr^^nwFr I t Mr mptMt 11*11 dfaMiErarwgft'-
cptMMppptt qUMMUr Mcpt I an^pr I anpPsrr^T^pr I pi^d=ir
Mr ppM 1 I Mr vrew *r=rfcr l IhI I M itcpt Mr wfM 1 I Mr pppt
rtMUr 2 I ?r w Mf|w ^MlmFTcrqlM^wr Mcr rtMT Mr M ??rgr
iptyHdW I M Mr fRPTfrr M Mr: f MMM cT^r T$5T Met IUII
crt w pMMpw arwrefr 1 u Mr pMMt pIUpiMppiuMU pt
^[MpM pt MMtM pt I ppp p w wrwr sr^nMr r Mr p^tM
qMqiqMpMMr pt g^MMf pt ptrtMM 3 pt lull

MMT: MU" p^Mm-t dUMiU gdiPi ppIM

ptptp" IMURr I M,ciTjcfl4 tpfpt I MriM MrMr -r rrgMM I cRprrpMct I
cfM" MM": lull

MUr fM^rpr gqf fMM gMdWTT^rw^r p" I

M" ’TerfMr PTPTT: PP^PTWMMfMrT I U 1 1
3PT w U M UM PWiMM =T Tpr fMMT I 5M :

p^p cii Ur ^ciici ?r M" M' f M Mr 1 1 ? ° 1 1

1 1 MM ^pt: rrrR: 1 1

236

Chandogya Upanisad

5.10.10

9 “Therefore it is said: ‘at the fifth offering the waters take on a human voice.’
Covered by the placenta, the fetus lies inside the womb for nine or ten months
or thereabouts and is then born. 2 Once he is born, he lives his allotted life span.
When he has departed, when he has reached his appointed time — they take him to
the very fire from which he came, from which he sprang.

"I n "Now, the people who know this, and the people here in the wilderness who
X U venerate thus: ‘Austerity is faith’ — they pass into the flame, from the flame
into the day, from the day into the fortnight of the waxing moon, from the fortnight
of the waxing moon into the six months when the sun moves north, 2 from these
months into the year, from the year into the sun, from the sun into the moon, and
from the moon into lightning. Then a person who is not human — he leads them to
brahman. This is the path leading to the gods.

3 “The people here in villages, on the other hand, who venerate thus: ‘Gift-
giving is offerings to gods and to priests’ — they pass into the smoke, from the
smoke into the night, from the night into the fortnight of the waning moon, and
from the fortnight of the waning moon into the six months when the sun moves
south. These do not reach the year 4 but from these months pass into the world of the
fathers, and from the world of the fathers into space, and from space into the moon.
This is King Soma, the food of the gods, and the gods eat it. 5 They remain there as
long as there is a residue, and then they return by the same path they went — first to
space, and from space to the wind. After the wind has formed, it turns into smoke;
after the smoke has formed, it turns into a thundercloud; 6 after the thundercloud has
formed, it turns into a rain-cloud; and after a rain-cloud has formed, it rains down.
On earth they spring up as rice and barley, plants and trees, sesame and beans, from
which it is extremely difficult to get out. When someone eats that food and deposits
the semen, from him one comes into being again.

7 “Now, people here whose behavior is pleasant can expect to enter a pleasant
womb, like that of a woman of the Brahmin, the Ksatriya, or the Vaisya class. But
people of foul behavior can expect to enter a foul womb, like that of a dog, a pig, or
an outcaste woman.

8 “Then there are those proceeding on neither of these two paths — they become
the tiny creatures revolving here ceaselessly. ‘Be born! Die!’ — that is a third state.

“As a result, that world up there is not filled up.

“A man should seek to protect himself from that. On this point there is this
verse:

9 A man who steals gold, drinks liquor,
and kills a Brahmin;

A man who fornicates with his teacher’s wife —
these four will fall.

As also the fifth — he who consorts with them.

10 “A man who knows these five fires in this way, however, is not tainted with
evil even if he associates with such people. Anyone who knows this becomes pure
and clean and attains a good world.”

237

5.11.1

The Early Upanisads

3r#T5nc5 ffiw: Frgftqt ft:

|f^T 3TP^RTf%^ frT TfRTTc5T WratftmT: T#FT ^Vmf xTfl I Wt T

3TFTT ^fcT ll?ll

ct f TTTFTF9!f: I ^TW % iTFFTTt5FTTTf&r: tra#TTcTIT tMTF
Tstftr I cf I cf TFFTFgT: I R 1 1

t w ?tqT^TTWR: I a^rf^r fi^ft Tfi^nw ggpfrftraT: I cFrr t
affFF# I II 311 dFitTdH" I smftif

TTFtFSF %%T: tWcfMlcHH tWRTf^frT I <T fFTFWP^T^fcT I cT

fFFFnj: ||V||

cNt f sn?r«r: grrgtfV witwr I t r trt: t^tf I

T # girt FTF^ T FFTT T W: I

TFnftcrrfMf^TF ?tfMt ^r: n

Fwrwr t TTFFfFgrftT l FdcFtr err TRrrftr ftfst-

T£Ft TRFTftr I SFFg FTcRT ffcT I IH M

ft fFj: *FT fFT^T gwattcf fcT F^cT I 3FFTR^tF t^FTF FFFF^ I

d^lF TT sifflfcl 1 1 ^ 1 1

•A

cTFffFTF Flcff : flfcRtfilFftfcT I ft f Ff^FFFFT: FriF^i&V I

dl^lHH'fl^cl^FN' 111911

1 1 ffcT 1TF5K5T: ?TF: 1 1

aftaTFFF W cTHTFTITgFRT ffcT I f^F^F TTTT FFftricT FTFTF I FT
gftFT 1 3nFRT t’gFRT t I twtttt get agdTgcr

f^Fct II? II 3ffft q^rftr ffcm; I siwr qwfer f§m grrFF sigjr^T

Fct T igT^WFRFt tWTFgWt I Tsff c%F TTcTT ffr T flTTF I TFT ft
sraf^tgFFTT TFrftFF ffcT IRII

1 1 ffcT F1F3T: ?TF: 1 1

3FT FFTTT TcFW Wf41hF>F W cdTrHMTTFT ffcT I

Trf^FFFr FJTFt FIFftrfcT gFTTT I FT t f%FFT STFFT tw?t T

238

Chandogya Upanisad

5.13.1

n PracInasala Aupamanyava, Satyayajna Paulusi, Indradyumna Bhallaveya,
Jana Sarkaraksya, and Budila Asvatarasvi — these extremely wealthy and
immensely learned householders got together once and began a deep examination of
these questions: “What is our self {atman)l What is brahmanV

2 And they reached this common conclusion: “Gentlemen, there is this man
Uddalaka Aruni. At this very moment he is studying this self here, the one common
to all men. Come, let’s go and meet him.” So they went to him.

3 Uddalaka, for his part, concluded: “These extremely wealthy and immensely
learned householders are bound to question me, and I will not be able to answer
their questions in a complete way. The best thing to do is for me to refer them to
someone else.” 4 So he told them: “Gentlemen, there is this man Asvapati Kaikeya.
At this very moment he is studying this self here, the one common to all men.
Come, let’s go and meet him.” So they went to him.

5 When they arrived, Asvapati saw to it that each of them was received with due
honor. Getting up in the morning, he said to them:

“In my kingdom there are
no thieves, no misers, no one who drinks;
no one without learning or a sacred fire,
no lecher, much less a whore!

“Gentlemen, as you can see, I am about to perform a sacrifice. And I will give
you a gift equal to what I will give each of the officiating priests. So, gentlemen,
please stay here a while.”

6 But they told him: “Surely, when a man is immersed in a particular topic, it is
on that topic that he should speak. Currently it is this self here, the one common to
all men, that is the focus of your study. So tell us about it.” 7 He replied: “I’ll give
my response tomorrow.”

So the next morning they returned to him carrying firewood in their hands.
Without even initiating them as students, he said this to them:

"1 O “Aupamanyava, what do you venerate as the self?”

JL Z. “The sky, Your Majesty,” he replied.

“What you venerate as the self,” Asvapati told him, “is this brightly shining self
here, the one common to all men. As a result we see in your family Soma being
pressed ceaselessly and without a break. 2 You eat food and see what is pleasing.
Likewise, when someone knows this self here, the one common to all men, in this
way — he eats food and sees what is pleasing, and the luster of sacred knowledge
arises in his family. This, however,” he said, “is only the head of the self.”

“And if you hadn’t come to me,” he continued, “your head would have shat-
tered apart!”

13

Then he questioned Satyayajna Paulusi: “Praclnayogya, what do you vener-
ate as the self?”

The sun, Your Majesty,” he replied.

239

5.13.1

The Early Upanisads

r^TTrJTFTgWt I clFTTW II? II gfTfl35gcTf)7?fr

zjtfr l 3TcFT5r q^q% fqw I 3iwr F^rfcr f^nr

t^cFlFFTFTFT I : ^T^xTWFT ffcT I

awrsirMr 1 FPif^' §fcr 1 1^1 1

1 1 sjfcT 1 1

3ft ^crr^f¥ iiTg^Fr twrsr =F c^MR^nw §fcr I

m^T TMffrfcT ftFFT I EW t >J5FFrRtrm" t’gpRT 3T (F^'IcHHHMI^ I

cRwmf smfer 1 1 1 ? 1 1 3^^ ffcpr l

3FW q^rfcT ffcFT 1TFFTFT cjf& *T l^FWTTT tWTF^TR^ I

HFR^T STIciTT ^fcT flFTET I RFRcT FFTft'KT §fcT ll^ll

1 1 §fcT ^ST^T: 1 1

SET ftFTtT qfT 51T#^W ?IT^T??T W §fcT I 3TTFF?Pfer

^PTcfr ?Mf?ffcr fmrF I t^r t - anw twrfr 3 T cWFrft^tr# I
cTFTTW 31fc5t3f?r SRFTT xT EFFT ^ 1 1 ? 1 1 3PFF5T q^rffr f^TRT I 3TtW
q^rfci- f^nr wftft ?r T^Wcfnr twRgrn^ I

SHEET §% 1 TVTTH I ^RMlRlT FFlf^lW §fcT 1 1 ^ 1 1

1 1 §fcT qo^RT: ??n^r: 1 1

set §t=rrer t^irow =f cWoqrrgqrw §fcr I set o=r

VFTFT ^mIMcT § 1<4M I FF ^ ^RTcFT ^JRTT •9" rFFTrFH^TR^T I
cTFTTr# ^TRTgf^5RTF% I ? 1 1 SEETE q??T% f^PT I SHEET q^rfcT f^PT
ITF^TFT ^ F q^FtWrFTT tWRJTOT I aTTcFT

^fcT §1=1 iq I Fltd^c) ^jlFFTSRTT FFlfn ^ ftcf 1 1 ■? 1 1

1 1 ffcT tef: ^sfogl 1 1

240

Chandogya Upanisad

5.16.2

“What you venerate as the self,” Asvapati told him, “is this dazzling self here,
the one common to all men. As a result we see in your family many a dazzling
thing — 2 golden armlet, carriage drawn by a she-mule, slave-girl, golden pendant.
You eat food and see what is pleasing. Likewise, when someone knows this self
here, the one common to all men, in this way — he eats food and sees what is pleas-
ing, and the luster of sacred knowledge arises in his family. This, however,” he said,
“is only the eye of the self.”

“And if you hadn’t come to me,” he continued, “you would have gone blind!”

M Theti he questioned Indradyumna Bhallaveya: “Vaiyaghrapadya, what do
you venerate as the self?”

“The wind, Your Majesty,” he replied.

“What you venerate as the self,” Asvapati told him, “is this self, the one com-
mon to all men, which follows diverse paths. As a result tributes come to you from
diverse sources, and rows upon rows of chariots fall to your share in diverse ways.
2 You eat food and see what is pleasing. Likewise, when someone knows this self
here, the one common to all men, in this way — he eats food and sees what is pleas-
ing, and the luster of sacred knowledge arises in his family. This, however,” he said,
“is only the breath of the self.”

“And if you hadn’t come to me,” he continued, “your breath would have left
you!”

'I J“ Then he questioned Jana: “Sarkaraksya, what do you venerate as the self?”
X v_/ “Space, Your Majesty,” he replied.

“What you venerate as the self,” Asvapati told him, “is this ample self here, the
one common to all men. As a result you have ample children and wealth. 2 You eat
food and see what is pleasing. Likewise, when someone knows this self here, the
one common to all men, in this way — he eats food and sees what is pleasing, and
the luster of sacred knowledge arises in his family. This, however,” he said, “is only
the trunk of the self.”

“And if you hadn’t come to me,” he continued, “your trunk would have crum-
bled to pieces!”

Then he questioned Budila Asvatarasvi: “Vaiyaghrapadya, what do you
venerate as the self?”

“The waters, Your Majesty,” he replied.

“What you venerate as the self,” Asvapati told him, “is this self here, the one
common to all men, which is wealth. As a result you are wealthy and prosperous.
2 You eat food and see what is pleasing. Likewise, when someone knows this self
here, the one common to all men, in this way — he eats food and sees what is pleas-
ing, and the luster of sacred knowledge arises in his family. This, however,” he said,
“is only the bladder of the self.”

“And if you hadn’t come to me,” he continued, “your bladder would have
burst!”

241

5 . 17.1

The Early JJpanisads

3pt f^^ra^rn^iTr R?pt w RR I RRRrRr

wfr trMct I ^ R RRsw Rsfrt $ r^TR^rTTgrR^ l

cFfttw srfcrfRcfrsRr sfrt ^ IRII 3ffiR fRR Rift I 3tfR

'pRR fRpi ipqpTFT <gR F l^PTTPTTT tWRWRrT I qRr

TtcTTWTT RR I qRt R °qjpRclt jrR qiTrf^T ffcT IRII

1 1 RR SH35T: 1 1

cTT^Txr iR- f- ^ gR twrt RRRsiFrw I

ffRcfR 1 srRsm i q RRRTrr-rq twft 2 RyFR^iRr f RtRj h%
FcR FR*FcFFFWfR IRII

cTFT f cfT q^WoFTT RtFTCFr ^T -gcRTT: 1 T qRRWT: 2 RFC 2
^p?rW *Rfr 2 qgRr RRrRr RR qR^Rr qi^t 4 ;st RR: cRqrfR 5
Rf: |ppf iTT^HoMl TFT; 5 3T^I ^ I 4 m : mW^T snfeRRr: IRII

1 1 RR sn^T^T: W^: I 1

crsnsrF I f ft H*prmiffR ^rrat ^■f«msrMT«r

FTfiRR I RFTFJ^rfcT II? 1 1 RFT i?prfR I : *FgRr ^W^tR"-

cFf^rfR I srrRcR qRrfR Rr^rtRt I RR ^wtRtF-

5m%fcF5cTf?rg c ^ I c tftr cjirf 5Rprr r^rm^t ^rtt

<q§lpRRRR IRII

1 1 ffcT i^RRRRr: ^oir: 1 1

3rt R ftcfRrf ffRirfr : g|pTR; orhir fitter I srr-T^Tfcr IRII
sift g^RR RtR gRR I RrR ^fRR F^FPqRrfR I i q x RR

[Rif^IRi I R^ i^RR RRf^r R ^t tk^rR^RfsIRt cRpqfR I
cTFTIJ gR ^prfR 5FPTT qgRRFf^T R5RTT sFPfRRRR 1 IRII

1 1 RR ffe w^. 1 1

w R gcfRrr 5prw fpr^TTPr wRR I ^tfhi^fRR IRII 3ffR
garfR qi^'Ri I qrfR I mt sq^rfR RM - gRR !

242

Chandogya Upanisad

5.21.2

"1 F“7 Then he questioned Uddalaka Aruni: “Gautama, what do you venerate as
JL / the self?”

“The earth, Your Majesty,” he replied.

“What you venerate as the self,” Asvapati told him, “is this self here, the one
common to all men, which is the firm basis. As a result you have a firm basis in
children and livestock. 2 You eat food and see what is pleasing. Likewise, when
someone knows this self here, the one common to all men, in this way — he eats
food and sees what is pleasing, and the luster of sacred knowledge arises in his
family. This, however,” he said, “is only the feet of the self.”

“And if you hadn’t come to me,” he continued, “your feet would have withered
away!”

1 Q Then he said to them: “You who know this self here, the one common to all
X O men, as somehow distinct — you eat food. But when someone venerates this
self here, the one common to all men, as measuring the size of a span and as beyond
all measure, he eats food within all the worlds, all the beings, and all the selves.

2 “Now, of this self here, the one common to all men — the brightly shining is
the head; the dazzling is the eye; what follows diverse paths is the breath; the ample
is the trunk; wealth is the bladder; the earth is the feet; the sacrificial enclosure is
the stomach; the sacred grass is the body hair; the householder’s fire is the heart; the
southern fire is the mind; and the offertorial fire is the mouth.

1 Q “The first morsels of food that one takes, therefore, are to be offered in sac-
X y rifice. The first offering he makes, he should offer with the words: ‘To the
out-breath, svaha!’ Thus the out-breath becomes satisfied. 2 And when the out-breath
is satisfied, the sight becomes satisfied; when the sight is satisfied, the sun becomes
satisfied; when the sun is satisfied, the sky becomes satisfied; when the sky is satis-
fied, whatever the sky and the sun oversee is satisfied. Once these are satisfied, he
himself, possessing children, livestock, a food supply, fame, and the luster of sacred
knowledge, attains satisfaction.

O D "The second offering he makes, he should offer with the words: ‘To the
Z.U inter-breath, svaha!’ Thus the inter-breath becomes satisfied. 2 And when
the inter-breath is satisfied, the hearing becomes satisfied; when the hearing is satis-
fied, the moon becomes satisfied; when the moon is satisfied, the quarters become
satisfied; when the quarters are satisfied, whatever the quarters and the moon over-
see is satisfied. Once these are satisfied, he himself, possessing children, livestock, a
food supply, fame, and the luster of sacred knowledge, attains satisfaction.

y | “The third offering he makes, he should offer with the words: ‘To the in-
breath, svaha!’ Thus the in-breath becomes satisfied. 2 And when the in-
breath is satisfied, the speech becomes satisfied; when the speech is satisfied, the
fire becomes satisfied; when the fire is satisfied, the earth becomes satisfied; when
the earth is satisfied, whatever the earth and the fire oversee is satisfied. Once these

243

5 . 21.2

The Early Upanisads

'jrf^srf ^Fr^t gRl# I ^?TTJ gft

cpr% qqim Iiqil

1 1 ffcT ^qug-: 1 1

sw ®rf ^qixii ^qic'H'HHw i^rrifcr I ^rqH^csrfrr 1 1 ? 1 1

■h H i*} ^wfcT I I q^R} - ^^rfcr f^igcf

^rfcT I f^fd c^c-qi qfc*'^ I cTFFJ

gfrt g^qfcT wr q^^riFr ^mr 11^1!

1 1 ifrT g}ft$r: ??TOS': 1 1

3RT qt qo^nft ^TlrTT f pT^FTFr differ I *^R?sFrfcr 1 1 ? 1 1
^rfcf qTJ^prfrT I 3l4V I Si tcbl'^T cJFqfcT qfc^q"

qT5^FTWff^F5 d W ^rfcT I cTPTI^ ^flcT
cl vri <h i wfMrt^frr 1 1 q 1 1

1 1 ?fcr ^FTtta ?fF^: 1 1

cx -- • . x\rx_ x

Chandogya Upanisad

6 . 1.3

are satisfied, he himself, possessing children, livestock, a food supply, fame, and the
luster of sacred knowledge, attains satisfaction.

O “The fourth offering he makes, he should offer with the words: ‘To the link-

/ - ' breath, svaha!’ Thus the link-breath becomes satisfied. 1 2 And when the link-

breath is satisfied, the mind becomes satisfied; when the mind is satisfied, the rain
becomes satisfied; when the rain is satisfied, the lightning becomes satisfied; when
the lightning is satisfied, whatever the lightning and the rain oversee is satisfied.
Once these are satisfied, he himself, possessing children, livestock, a food supply,
fame, and the luster of sacred knowledge, attains satisfaction.

O O “The fifth offering he makes, he should offer with the words: ‘To the up-
jLm'J breath, svaha!’ Thus the up-breath becomes satisfied. 2 And when the up-
breath is satisfied, the wind becomes satisfied; when the wind is satisfied, space
becomes satisfied; when space is satisfied, whatever the wind and space oversee is
satisfied. Once these are satisfied, he himself, possessing children, livestock, a food
supply, fame, and the luster of sacred knowledge, attains satisfaction.

O A “If someone were to offer the daily fire sacrifice without knowing this, it
ZJTX. would be as if he had removed the burning embers and made his offering on
the ashes. 2 If, on the other hand, someone were to offer the daily fire sacrifice with
this knowledge, that offering of his is made within all the worlds, all the beings, and
all the selves.

3 “When someone offers the daily fire sacrifice with this knowledge, all the bad
things in him are burnt up like the tip of a reed stuck into a fire, therefore, even if
a man who has this knowledge were to give his leftovers to an outcaste, thereby he
would have made an offering in that self of his which is common to all men. On this
point there is this verse:

As around their mother here
hungry children gather;

So at the fire sacrifice,

do all the beings gather.”

ADHYAYA 6

1 There was one Svetaketu, the son of Aruni. One day his father told him -
“Svetaketu, take up the celibate life of a student, for there is no one in our fam-
ily, my son, who has not studied and is the kind of Brahmin who is so only because
of birth.”

2 So he went away to become a student at the age of twelve and, after learning

all the Vedas, returned when he was twenty-four, swellheaded, thinking himself to
be learned, and arrogant. 3 His father then said to him: “Svetaketu, here you are, my

245

b.1.5 The Early Upamsads

I RT cRT^Rra li^Ml Wd sgcT

fticr I t w: w sn^fr wfrfcr 1 1 3 1 1

Mir IIMI

e# cblbuij-M-H fesffcf WTcf I

I r^ *r 3TT^fr wftfcr W^W
fRcT I *T aTWri^f^r W-

r I mr ?ft^fcr ! t^i I

1 1 ffcT 5¥T: W^'- 1 1

t^r^rfeftw IRII cr%r?r srj arr

I 5MT^frT I cT^TTS^

R tT^T MTWfr ^STFRt 1 1 3 1 1 ciT 3TTT ^Rf

^TdT 3RT

wrr m

Chandogya Upanisacl

6.3.4

son, swell-headed, thinking yourself to be learned, and arrogant; so you must have
surely asked about that rule of substitution by which one hears what has not been
heard of before, thinks of what has not been thought of before, and perceives what
has not been perceived before?”

“How indeed does that rule of substitution work, sir?”

4 “It is like this, son. By means of just one lump of clay one would perceive
everything made of clay — the transformation is a verbal handle, a name — while the
reality is just this; ‘It’s clay.’

5 “It is like this, son. By means of just one copper trinket one would perceive
everything made of copper — the transformation is a verbal handle, a name — while
the reality is just this: ‘It’s copper.’

6 “It is like this, son. By means of just one nail-cutter one would perceive every-
thing made of iron — the transformation is a verbal handle, a name — while the real-
ity is just this: ‘It’s iron.’

“That, son, is how this rule of substitution works.”

7 “Surely, those illustrious men did not know this, for had they known, how
could they have not told it to me? So, why don’t you, sir, tell me yourself?”

“All right, son,” he replied.

2 “In the beginning, son, this world was simply what is existent — one only,
without a second. Now, on this point some do say: ‘In the beginning this world
was simply what is nonexistent — one only, without a second. And from what is
nonexistent was born what is existent.’

2 “But, son, how can that possibly be?” he continued. “How can what is existent
be born from what is nonexistent? On the contrary, son, in the beginning this world
was simply what is existent — one only, without a second.

3 “And it thought to itself: ‘Let me become many. Let me propagate myself.’ It
emitted heat. The heat thought to itself: ‘Let me become many. Let me propagate
myself.’ It emitted water. Whenever it is hot, therefore, a man surely perspires; and
thus it is from heat that water is produced. 4 The water thought to itself: ‘Let me be-
come many. Let me propagate myself.’ It emitted food. Whenever it rains,
therefore, food becomes abundant; and thus it is from water that foodstuffs are pro-
duced.

3 “There are, as you can see, only three sources from which these creatures here
originate: they are born from eggs, from living individuals, or from sprouts.

2 “Then that same deity thought to itself: ‘Come now, why don’t I establish the
distinctions of name and appearance by entering these three deities here with this
living self ( atman ), 3 and make each of them threefold.’ So, that deity established
the distinctions of name and appearance by entering these three deities here with
this living self {atman), 4 and made each of them threefold.

“Learn from me, my son, how each of these three deities becomes threefold.

247

6 . 4.1

The Early Upanisads

sq;^fd.--J--i^r,Tr C j' ^nfrnf W ffcr I W ^

JTTfenet ^TcTT: PR STT^T RlfcT cRf f^TFfl^fcT I Ivsl I

1 1 73^: 1 1

3??Fr%cT %rr fM^cr I ctft q ?qf§rRr siTgw<3'0v wfcr l qf
WPRTRiRT I ^f^IWfRFT: 1 1 ? 1 1 3TFT: 4tfTR%rT I cTRTf q:

?qfW qr^wqq qqfcr I qr wm^tflrnr I qlsf^TR: ^ pt: IRII
Msftrcf ^wt f^fk?T l cTPT q Ftf&mr err^iw^q qqf^r I qf qsqq: q
wi - I qrsf&rR-. m qw 1 1 3 1 1 qqqq % qnq qq I anqtqq rp: I

^q- ircf R

r: WJS:

^T; #rer REFfFRT q^f&FIT fT q?#: qg#qfcT
tt^tR <c|^ RRiqRT^qqpTR 4lipHI ?T
qqfcf I R 1 1 3Tqf qRq 4twqprf qRf^TRT q 3^:
qqfrT I R II 3qq: qRf&RTT q :

qqfcT I IV 1 1 qqqq % qRr Rf: I 3TWTW: HW: I c
tTcr qr qqqr^WTqfrqfcT I cRT qRffcr I Rl I

1 1 ffcT W: 1 1

RtMtT I i ? 1 1
fcT I cTRTT

fk i q 3 f fr

fcT I R qPT
q#ftcT I qq

Chandogya Upanisad

6.6.5

4 “The red appearance of a fire is, in fact, the appearance of heat, the white, that
of water, and the black, that of food. So vanishes from the fire the character of
fire — the transformation is a verbal handle, a name — while the reality is just, ‘It’s
the three appearances.’

2 “The red appearance of the sun is, in fact, the appearance of heat, the white,
that of water, and the black, that of food. So vanishes from the sun the character of
sun — the transformation is a verbal handle, a name — while the reality is just, ‘It’s
the three appearances.’

3 “The red appearance of the moon is, in fact, the appearance of heat, the white,
that of water, and the black, that of food. So vanishes from the moon the character
of moon — the transformation is a verbal handle, a name — while the reality is just,
‘It’s the three appearances.’

4 “The red appearance of lightning is, in fact, the appearance of heat, the white,
that of water, and the black, that of food. So vanishes from lightning the character
of lightning — the transformation is a verbal handle, a name — while the reality is
just, ‘It’s the three appearances.’

5 “It was, indeed, this that they knew, those extremely wealthy and immensely
learned householders of old, when they said: ‘Now no one will be able to spring
something upon us that we have not heard of or thought of or understood before.’
For they derived that knowledge from these three — 6 when they noticed anything
that was reddish, they knew: ‘That is the appearance of heat’; when they noticed
anything that was whitish, they knew: ‘That is the appearance of water’; when they
noticed anything that was blackish, they knew: ‘That is the appearance of food’;
7 and when they noticed anything that was somehow indistinct, they knew: ‘That is
a combination of these same three deities.’

“Learn from me, son, how, when they enter a man, each of these three deities
becomes threefold.

5 “When one eats food it breaks down into three parts. The densest becomes fe-
ces, the medium becomes flesh, and the finest becomes mind. 2 When one
drinks water it breaks down into three parts. The densest becomes urine, the me-
dium becomes blood, and the finest becomes breath. 3 When one eats heat it breaks
down into three parts. The densest becomes bones, the medium becomes marrow,
and the finest becomes speech. 4 For the mind is made up of food, son; breath, of
water; and speech, of heat.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.”

6 “When one churns curd, its finest part rises to the top and becomes butter. 2 In
the same way, son, when one eats food its finest part rises to the top and be-
comes mind; 3 when one drinks water its finest part rises to the top and becomes
breath; 4 and when one eats heat its finest part rises to the top and becomes speech.
5 For the mind is made up of food, son; breath, of water; and speech, of heat.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

249

6 . 7.1

The Early Upanisads

tow: tor tot: I cPTWT: to I torW:

tor =r torr 1 toitoTcr to 1 1 ? 1 1

ft f qrwnrwto trt 1 1 31-st |wmk to srtotor to to I ^r:
Fftor ^pfto FfrmtofrT' I ft tow tow tototr to tor IRII

if tow W FTtor ’TtorsWlftoFtotofTT: totow: totow:

fw I tor torsto t wf tor I to Ftor ir tosto wwtow wto-
ftor f w l toff tonw# l 3rwr I *r ftototo IRH
ft fra - I wr tofqFTFrw I if f tow qrw ft# f tocto 11*11
if tow 1 I w Fftor wto «f i f| d Ftwrfit totcPrto qftorto fr
towmiw srwtof tor tosto tor I IhI I to ftTw if towrrto

tofFr I srwwr to Fttor wn
tortotocT ftortotor I to 1 1

r: 5 TFT:

WgTW

1 1 tor FTWF: F 3 W: ! I

vdSKoto toto: toitoto WW-W WHlto # FTtW

cngw: FtofcT wr ftctt Fftor cwr totor tor I Fwto
tototo l to wtofr wto 1 1 ? 1 1

FT W SFto to^ ^ ^ toTWFWWcT

qwto i tow fstft ftTw crtor tor tor towpw
totot I Rwtor to Ftor wr to I tol I

arsFiitoiFl 1 # Frtor tototottor I togtofeto
fto tot I craw torabw:

I fw

to#

wtft w fw

1311 FTW W W7

to: FTTW

w tor rrw

3TWW

tof I iraw tor

E

Chantlogya Upanisad

6.8.5

7 “A man, my son, consists of sixteen parts. Do not eat for fifteen days, but drink
water at will. Breath is made of water; so it will not be cut off if one drinks.”
2 Svetaketu did not eat for fifteen days. Then he came back to his father and
said: “What shall I recite, sir?”

“The Rg verses, the Yajus formulas, and the Saman chants.”

“Sir, I just can’t remember them,” he replied. 3 And his father said to him:

“It is like this, son. Out of a huge fire that one has built, if there is left only a
single ember the size of a firefly — by means of that the fire thereafter would not
burn all that much. Likewise, son, you are left with only one of your sixteen parts;
by means of that at present you don’t remember the Vedas.

“Eat, and then you will learn from me.”

4 He ate and then came back to his father. And he answered everything that his
father asked. 5 And the father said to him:

“It is like this, son. Out of a huge fire that one has built,, if there is left only a
single ember the size of a firefly and if one were to cover it with straw and set it
ablaze— by means of that, the fire thereafter would burn very much. 6 Likewise, son,
you were left with only one of your sixteen parts, and when you covered it with
food, it was set ablaze— by means of that you now remember the Vedas, for the
mind, son, is made up of food; breath, of water; and speech, of heat.”

And he did, indeed, learn it from him.

8 Uddalaka Aruni said to his son, Svetaketu: “Son, learn from me the nature of
sleep. When one says here: ‘The man is sleeping,’ son, then he is united with
the existent; into himself (sva) he has entered (apita). Therefore, people say with
reference to him: ‘He is sleeping’ ( svapiti ), for then he has entered into himself.

2 “It is like this. Take a bird that is tied with a string. It will fly off in every di-
rection and, when it cannot find a resting place anywhere else, it will alight back
upon the very thing to which it is tied. Similarly, son, the mind flies off in every
direction and, when it cannot find a resting place anywhere else, it alights back
upon the breath itself; for the mind, my son, is tied to the breath.

3 “Son, learn from me about hunger and thirst. When one says here: ‘The man is
hungry,’ then the water drives away with what he has eaten. So, just as one calls
someone a ‘cattle-driver,’ or a ‘horse-driver,’ or a ‘man-driver,’ similarly one calls
water ‘hunger’ — the ‘food-driver.’

“With regard to this, son, you should recognize this as a bud that has come out.
It cannot be without a root, 4 and what could its root be if not food? Likewise, son,
with food as the bud, look to water as the root; with water as the bud, look to heat as
the root; and with heat as the bud, look to the existent as the root. The existent, my
son, is the root of all these creatures — the existent is their resting place, the existent
is their foundation.

5 “When, moreover, one says here: ‘The man is thirsty,’ then the heat drives
away with what he has drunk. So, just as one calls someone a ‘cattle-driver,’ or a
‘horse-driver,’ or a ‘man-driver,’ similarly one calls heat ‘thirst’ — the ‘water-
driver.’

251

6 . 8.5

The Early Upanisads

Rtol-flfij I MHlI cTF FT ^ct FTFFFSF. I 3T%:

#F I cPF TTlF |f|P FFTHp^ I FF5T:

?TR^RT: Fit: FIT: FTFRT: FTTfcTW: I W F FcT FT^Tlf^TFt ipF:
gW FF f%ffcFf^%FT FlfcT cTfF FlfcT I 3TF FF gWT

FTF Ff^#T FlFcT TFT: 5TFT FFcP% ctF: FFT ^FFFT I l?J I

TT F 1 F^F I FFFT I F FW I FFR% ^cf-

ffcf I gF TTcr TTT FWf^WFrfMrT I cTF F^fcT ftFF I Ml
1 1 FFT: ?g-ag-; 1 1

W FtF W Fg^cfr f^Fsfcf FFFFRT ^flFT FFFWTF-

*Tff ft ftf^t 1 1 ? 1 1 cf mr ft t ff^sfftf p?r fRft-

Fcnt 3[FF FfrSFftfrT I T^FlF ^ FTreTF: FI?: 5TF: FtcT W F 1%:
FfcT FPFPF ffcT IRII cT ff SETT# F fifjfp F F FTlt F F

ft ft f ^fr f ftft f cTFFrfcr 1 1 1 3 1 1

f tr T^f^cTw^rf^rf fIf I ffft I f FtF I cT^h% %cf-

^cfr ffcr I ^F tr^- w FTFI^Wrofc^fcT I FF <Hl"R^frl ftFF I Ml

1 1 Ijfrr FTF: FPF: 1 1

^RT: FFF FIT: JFrTTcF^T: FFFrT FSJTFcfRF: I cTT: F^RFJpr-
I F FFsT F<T wfcT 1 | F FF FF F %f^RfFFftFPf^T-
FfrtrT 1 1 ? 1 1 PTcFtcT FTrRtT: FTT: FF: FT FTFF F ftj: FT
FIFF5TFF ^frT I cT W FIFt F F fFt F FT^t F ^t?T F FTft
F F5TT F FTFT F FT^f^T FFFFf^T IRII

F F F7TRf^r%FFTRrf F#F I FFcFF I F FRFT I TF# %T~
^cfT ffcT i ^F TPof TTT FFF^FfTmfNcT I cTF TTPf^fcT ftFF IRI I

1 1 ^fcT FFF W: 1 1

FF TfFT TTFTT ?fr ^S«TTfF I ^Tl c( FT^FT

<T Ff t FT. ^3 ^ TFF Joi>FTTF T I F FT ^FTFTT^y^rT: #P# FTFTT-
Hfe pg f c T II? 1 1 3FT <T^FT 5TR§t F I fMF

vjIglrFT F ^TFicT I ^cftF 'pTrFT F ^FfcT I ^F^T TT#:
^JFfrT I R II

252

Chandogya Upanisacl

6.11.2

“With regard to this, son, you should recognize this as a bud that has come out.
It cannot be without a root, 6 and what could its root be if not water? Likewise, son,
with water as the bud, look to heat as the root; and with heat as the bud, look to the
existent as the root. The existent, my son, is the root of all these creatures — the ex-
istent is their resting place, the existent is their foundation.

“I have already explained to you, son, how, when they enter a man, each of
these three deities become threefold.

“When a man is dying, my son, his speech merges into his mind; his mind, into
his breath; his breath, into heat; and heat, into the highest deity.

7 “The finest essence here — that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is
the truth; that is the self ( atman ). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

9 “Now, take the bees, son. They prepare the honey by gathering nectar from a
variety of trees and by reducing that nectar to a homogeneous whole. 2 In that
state the nectar from each different tree is not able to differentiate: ‘I am the nectar
of that tree,’ and ‘I am the nectar of this tree.’ In exactly the same way, son, when
all these creatures merge into the existent, they are not aware that: ‘We are merging
into the existent.’ 3 No matter what they are in this world — whether it is a tiger, a
lion, a wolf, a boar, a worm, a moth, a gnat, or a mosquito — they all merge into that.

4 “The finest essence here— that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is
the truth; that is the self {atman). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

"1 PI >1 N° W ’ take these rivers, son. The easterly ones flow toward the east, and
X U the westerly ones flow toward the west. From the ocean, they merge into
the very ocean; they become just the ocean. In that state they are not aware that: ‘I
am that river,’ and ‘I am this river.’ 2 In exactly the same way, son, when all these
creatures reach the existent, they are not aware that: ‘We are reaching the existent.’
No matter what they are in this world — whether it is a tiger, a lion, a wolf, a boar, a
worm, a moth, a gnat, or a mosquito — they all merge into that.

3 “The finest essence here — that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is
the truth; that is the self {atman). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

n “Now, take this huge tree here, son. If someone were to hack it at the bot-
tom, its living sap would flow. Likewise, if someone were to hack it in the
middle, its living sap would flow; and if someone were to hack it at the top, its liv-
ing sap would flow. Pervaded by the living ijiva) essence {atman), this tree stands
here ceaselessly drinking water and flourishing. 2 When, however, life (jiva ) leaves
one of its branches, that branch withers away. When it leaves a second branch, that

253

6 . 11.2

The Early JJpanisads

<sie6 'HlH fefecT fe M 1 <=l I^TcH" =11=1 fefe few T few
few fer I *r ifeffecrwwffe few I wwww I w sttcRT l
wwfe fefedl fer I *w ^ wr wwTffenwffefe I mr Ht^irr
feN I R 1 1

1 1 fer RWIWH WW 1 1

wfewww wfefe I fe w fer I fitter I ffer wr fer I
few wfefcr I ww fenr etrt ww fer I wmfewr ffefefcT I
few W fef I few wfetfeT I T few WT=T fe 1 1 ? 1 1 # few W
f fe «4 j r^ifei - h t fenc5w q^TFT f fefetsffe fe wwfefefewfe 1 I
WrlW fefecT I R 1 1

w w feifefewfefe few I wwww I w www I dwrfe fe -
fefr fe I ^ i2=r w wwiifenwferfcr l ww fefe few I R 1 1

1 1 fe SWW WW: 1 1

wfeifeJ 5 ^nw wr wwwffew fe 1 I w f 2 w ww I #
few I few CTlfew 31^ Wfefe I cTWWJW -T f%fe II? II
w fefefe 1 I ar^wwwrwwfe I wrffe l wwffe I wwTwwrfcr l
wfefe I wfefe I 3wnwwfer I wfefcr I wwfecr I
feyfedfe fefefeW fer 3 I cW WW WWC I WTOfe 5 I W

feiw WT few doHW W fenwfesfe I R 1 1

w w fefefecfwwffe few I ciiwr I w wwt I dwwfe fer-
fefr fe | wr iw wr wwfeferwfcfe I wt fefe few I Rll

1 1 fe fefer. w: 1 1

254

Chandogya Upanisacl

6.13.3

likewise withers away, and when it leaves a third branch, that also withers away.
When it leaves the entire tree, the whole tree withers away.

3 “In exactly the same way,” he continued, “know that this, of course, dies
when it is bereft of life (jiva) ; but life itself does not die.

“The finest essence here — that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is
the truth; that is the self ( dtman ). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

'1 O “Bring a banyan fruit.”

X Am “Here it is, sir.”

“Cut it up.”

“I’ve cut it up, sir.”

“What do you see there?”

“These quite tiny seeds, sir.”

“Now, take one of them and cut it up.”

“I’ve cut one up, sir.”

“What do you see there?”

“Nothing, sir.”

2 Then he told him: “This finest essence here, son, that you can’t even see —
look how on account of that finest essence this huge banyan tree stands here.

“Believe, my son: 3 the finest essence here — that constitutes the self of this
whole world; that is the truth; that is the self (dtman). And that’s how you are,
Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

"I O “Put this chunk of salt in a container of water and come back tomorrow.”
JL vJ The son did as he was told, and the father said to him: “The chunk of salt
you put in the water last evening — bring it here.” He groped for it but could not find
it, 2 as it had dissolved completely.

“Now, take a sip from this corner,” said the father. “How does it taste?”

“Salty.”

“Take a sip from the center. — How does it taste?”

“Salty.”

“Take a sip from that corner. — How does it taste?”

“Salty.”

“Throw it out and come back later.” He did as he was told and found that the
salt was always there. The father told him: “You, of course, did not see it there, son;
yet it was always right there.

3 “The finest essence here — that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is
the truth; that is the self (dtman). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

255

6.14.1

The Early Upanisads

W mw gw ct ddtsf^FT f^tcT I d w

W 3TEIW dT aWnftrTT^Ff^T 2 3TT^t^ta5T^t 1 1 ? 1 1

cRd wftFTfT qgw UfVAci f^T JRTRT gdf f^T sT^tcT I d WIT^ ¥F>t
tdFfr TO^i^w^cf I i^^^^iqr4q,;nr,'ir tar I ddr
dld^d f%T dldd f^fft^TSST ddcdT EjfcT IUII

d d ^5f^%5T?Krf^rf dfd I d WoMd' I d snw I ddP#r %r-

^cfr ffcr I gd W dT ^ddlP^Ndfcdfci I ddT dF#^ gtdTd I U 1 1

1 1 ^r xrg%: ?dag- : 1 1

W fTTdRT: q^fdTdcT dTdT% dT dRT% dlfMcl I ddT

<3 O

dldd dTfdf^r ^rarct dd: 5TFT qid?#d% 3d: qddft ^cW dTddr-
diicT IUII aid" WTdr drfd% wsfcr dr: rft rfr^% 3d qwrf
^dddddd d dFTTfcT 1 1^1 1

d q- q^rs^d^iddft^ d3d | dWrqqr I d dTcdr I dwr% %t-

%cfr ^fcT I gd tTof dT VR^Tf^WT^fMcT I cTdT dd3f3r gtdld I U 1 1

1 1 ifcr qdd'c^r: w^-. 1 1

2W dt^ftcT gdP^ddddd^f I diq^i'flV *3dddqffcT digd^ cTT-
3fcT I d cIFT ddf ddf^ dcT UdigddlcdH cpcf I dfcgd#r~
g^^dirdHd'risfnT qdj dd qf3g^if3 I d I dd ^qfr I U II
3Td qf^ dddddt ddfrT I dd gd ddldlcdld ^dfr I d dcdrfiTddr:
yctnirdidddreffd q^j dd qfcngpfrT I d d dpcT I dd wqfr llqll
d dd dd dKl^ld" 1 I ;i,dqic«lfirs dfd I ddddPT I d 3HW I
ElWt% ^Id^cfr ffcT I ddTdT ^Wli^fcT ^WWf^fcT I U 1 1

1 1 ff^r qtw: ^gr: 1 1

II ffcT d^SdTd: II

srsffft wr ffcT ^tqwra: dd^dit 1 ddd I 3 3Und died 3d
3)q3k I dddf Wl# I d d^Hd 1 1? 1 1

256

Chandogya JJpanisad

7 . 1.1

M “Takc, for example, son, a man who is brought here blindfolded from the
land of Gandhara and then left in a deserted region. As he was brought
blindfolded and left there blindfolded, he would drift about there toward the east, or
the north, or the south. 2 Now, if someone were to free him from his blindfold and
tell him, ‘Go that way; the land of Gandhara is in that direction,’ being a learned
and wise man, he would go from village to village asking for directions and finally
arrive in the land of Gandhara. In exactly the same way in this world when a man
has a teacher, he knows: ‘There is a delay for me here only until I am freed; but then
I will arrive!’

3 “The finest essence here — that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is
the truth; that is the self ( atman ). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

'I “Take, for example, son, a man gravely ill. His relatives gather around him

JL and ask: ‘Do you recognize me?’ ‘Do you recognize me?’ As long as his

voice does not merge into his mind; his mind, into his breath; his breath, into heat;
and heat, into the highest deity, he recognizes them. 2 When, however, his voice
merges into his mind; his mind, into his breath; his breath, into heat; and heat, into
the highest deity, then he no longer recognizes them.

3 “The finest essence here — that constitutes the self of this whole world; that is
the truth; that is the self {atman). And that’s how you are, Svetaketu.”

“Sir, teach me more.”

“Very well, son.

*1 / “Take, for example, son, a manacled man brought here by people shouting:
_L v/ ‘He’s a thief! He has committed a theft! Heat an ax for him!’ Now, if he is
guilty of the crime, then he turns himself into a lie; uttering a lie and covering him-
self in a lie, he takes hold of the ax and gets burnt, upon which he is executed. 2 If,
on the other hand, he is innocent of the crime, then he turns himself into the truth;
uttering the truth and covering himself with the truth, he takes hold of the ax and is
not burnt, upon which he is released.

3 “What on that occasion prevents him from being burnt — that constitutes the
self of this whole world; that is the truth; that is the self {atman). And that’s how
you are, Svetaketu.”

And he did, indeed, learn it from him.

ADHYAYA 7

1 “Sir, teach me,” said Narada as he came up to Sanatkumara. He replied: “Come
to me with what you know. Then I’ll tell you what more there is to know.”

257

7 . 1.1

The Early Upanisads

art? wtsstt qcgtf wtaaiatt qrw tat

tt fta dRi ta trft c H i c+-: j m i -n J' i cr. • <., h ctft i araftat rrafaai atrldar
atawftwta^atstt IRII

t tSf wfr atttrrft aTcaRcf I W #T t wa^twwrft tt-
awftftci I tsf w: tat I t ar wraiw at diwftt I t
fl^TET at fttcTawftr attcTcT IRII

•THT ar dttal agt?: mat? wtaSTgt qawt

taraT ta ftt <t1ai RftWt iat aiaa tt^ii sfttar ^rcTf^rar
sratrar a^atrar ataaaftar l attar I artaRtft IRII

a t ara ttgaTt I araart at aarra aarawarcr aait 1 t
aW 5icUr'JHkr-‘' I tt wt TT5 1 *Ta ^fcT I at ara ^tstrft I ct
Wdl^tlftlfd I IHII

1 1 tr aw: ?a>a 1 1

cfF^W at ^Rt I dHdT d?. t <? [ct^l IM^fci a^ft? dldtaiat’l
ati-t <id<t arw tat t? fta aft ta ftt aataraattrat
taftarr si^tt ratat attar aarttsrf dHctdaltt fta a 'jftt a
aij wi xnw tag- tana awart q^a - aafft a ^ n dw-
ell ^ma^itkHdflfitdt 1 snf art a art arjt a ara arara a
^aat ar|aat a l at ara araftw at arat ^awritwr act
arjt a ara awf a ^awr ai^raair 3 l arttat ftartt ar=pj-
mtlt IRII

a - t art atgait I araart at craw aarawart aatr tr
art attgat I aftr war art ^a tt I art ara ^ansaftft I at
warttaft IRII

1 1 tr fttta: ipa: 1 1

at ara art ga; I aar 1 t arwt t ar trt t aT# tta-
aatra art a ara a arataaaft I a aar aw aaraft awr

258

Chandogya Upanisad

7.3.1

Narada told him : 2 “I have studied the Rgveda, sir, as also the Yajurveda, the
Samaveda, the Atharvana as the fourth, the corpus of histories and ancient tales
asthe fifth Veda among the Vedas, ancestral rites, mathematics, soothsaying, the art
of locating treasures, the dialogues, the monologues, the science of gods, the sci-
ence of the ritual, the science of spirits, the science of government, the science of
heavenly bodies, and the science of serpent beings. All that, sir, I have studied.”
3 And he continued: “Here I am, a man who knows all the vedic formulas but is ig-
norant of the self. And I have heard it said by your peers that those who know the
self pass across sorrow. Here I am, sir, a man full of sorrow. Please, sir, take me
across to the other side of sorrow.”

Sanatkuinara said to him: “Clearly, all that you have studied is nothing but
name. 3 4 The Rgveda is name, and so are the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Athar-
vana as the fourth, the corpus of histories and ancient tales as the fifth Veda among
the Vedas, ancestral rites, mathematics, soothsaying, the art of locating treasures,
the dialogues, the monologues, the science of gods, the science of the ritual, the
science of spirits, the science of government, the science of heavenly bodies, and
the science of serpent beings. All that is nothing but name. So, venerate the name.

5 “If someone venerates brahman as name — well, a man obtains complete free-
dom of movement in every place reached by name, if he venerates brahman as
name.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than name?”

“Yes, there is something greater than name.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

2 “Speech, undoubtedly, is greater than name, for speech makes known the
Rgveda, as it does the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvana as the fourth,
the corpus of histories and ancient tales as the fifth Veda among the Vedas, ances-
tral rites, mathematics, soothsaying, the art of locating treasures, the dialogues, the
monologues, the science of gods, the science of the ritual, the science of spirits, the
science of government, the science of heavenly bodies, and the science of serpent
beings; and sky, earth, wind, space, water, fire, gods, humans, domestic animals,
birds, grasses, trees, and wild beasts down to the very worms, moths, and ants; as
well as the right ( dharma ) and the wrong ( adharma ), truth and falsehood, good and
evil, and the pleasant and the unpleasant. For, if there were no speech, neither the
right nor the wrong would be made known, nor even truth or falsehood, good or
evil. Speech alone makes all this known. So, venerate speech.”

2 “If someone venerates brahman as speech — well, a man obtains complete
freedom of movement in every place reached by speech, if he venerates brahman as
speech.

“Sir, is there anything greater than speech?”

“Yes, there is something greater than speech.”

“Sir, please tell me that."

3 “The mind, undoubtedly, is greater than speech, for as a closed fist would en-

velop a couple of myrobalans or jujubes, or a pair of dice, so indeed does the

259

Chandogya Upanisad

7.5.2

mind envelop both speech and name. When a man makes up his mind: ‘I should
recite the vedic formulas,’ then he undertakes their recitation; or: ‘I should perform
the rites,’ then he undertakes their performance; or: ‘I should try to obtain children
and livestock,’ then he tries to obtain them; or: ‘I should try to win for myself this
world and the next,’ then he tries to win them. For the self ( atman ) is the mind, the
world is the mind, brahman is the mind! So, venerate the mind.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as the mind — well, a man obtains complete
freedom of movement in every place reached by the mind, if he venerates brahman
as the mind.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than the mind?”

“Yes, there is something greater than the mind.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

4 “Intention, undoubtedly, is greater than the mind, for it is only after a man has
formed an intention that he makes up his mind; after that, he vocalizes his
speech — and he vocalizes it to articulate a name. The vedic formulas are contained
in the name, and rites, in the vedic formulas.

2 “Now, intention ( samkalpa ) is the point of convergence of all these things;
intention is their essence ( atman)-, and on intention they are based. The earth and the
sky were patterned through an intention; wind and space were patterned through an
intention; water and fire were patterned through an intention. According to their
intention ( samklpti ) was patterned ( samkalpate ) rain; according to the intention of
rain was patterned food; according to the intention of food were patterned the vital
breaths (prana ); according to the intention of the vital breaths were patterned the
vedic formulas; according to the intention of the vedic formulas were patterned
rites; according to the intention of rites was patterned the world; and according to
the intention of the world was patterned the Whole. All that is intention! So, vener-
ate intention.

3 “If someone venerates brahman as intention — well, himself remaining con-
stant, firmly based, and steadfast, a man wins the worlds patterned after his
intention, worlds that are constant, firmly based, and steadfast; and he obtains com-
plete freedom of movement in every place reached by intention, if he venerates
brahman as intention.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than intention?”

“Yes, there is something greater than intention.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

5 “Thought, undoubtedly, is greater than intention, for it is only after a man has
given some thought that he forms an intention; after that, he makes up his
mind; then he vocalizes his speech — and he vocalizes it to articulate a name. The
vedic formulas are contained in the name, and rites, in the vedic formulas.

2 “Now, thought is the point of convergence of all these things; thought is their
essence ( atman ); and on thought they are based. Therefore, when a man, although
very learned, is thoughtless, people say about him: ‘He is good for nothing!’ no

261

7 . 5.2

The Early Upanisads

3rf%tf: 2 pnWrf I 3T^r ffW IT^tcT I f^rf

Chandogya Upanisad

7.7.2

matter what he knows, thinking, ‘If he was truly learned, he would not be so
thoughtless.’ If, on the other hand, a man of little learning is thoughtful, people are
going to listen to him, for thought is the point of convergence of all these; thought is
their essence; and on thought they are based. So, venerate thought.

3 “If someone venerates brahman as thought — well, himself remaining con-
stant, firmly based, and steadfast, a man wins the worlds that he sets his thought on,
worlds that are constant, firmly based, and steadfast; and he obtains complete
freedom of movement in every place reached by thought, if he venerates brahman
as thought.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than thought?”

“Yes, there is something greater than thought.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

6 “Deep reflection, undoubtedly, is greater than thought, for the earth in a sense
is reflecting deeply; the intermediate region in a sense is reflecting deeply; the
sky in a sense is reflecting deeply; the waters in a sense are reflecting deeply; the
hills in a sense are reflecting deeply; and gods and men in a sense are reflecting
deeply. Therefore, those who achieve eminence among men in this world have, in
some sense, received their share of the fruits of deep reflection. Small-minded men
are cantankerous, backbiting, and offensive, whereas those who are noble-minded
have, in some sense, received their share of the fruits of deep reflection. So, vener-
ate deep reflection.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as deep reflection — well, a man obtains com-
plete freedom of movement in every place reached by deep reflection, if he
venerates brahman as deep reflection.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than deep reflection?”

“Yes, there is something greater than deep reflection.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

7 “Perception, undoubtedly, is greater than deep reflection, for it is through the
faculty of perception that one comes to perceive the Rgveda, the Yajurveda, the
Samaveda, the Atharvana as the fourth, the corpus of histories and ancient tales as
the fifth Veda among the Vedas, ancestral rites, mathematics, soothsaying, the art of
locating treasures, the dialogues, the monologues, the science of gods, the science
of the ritual, the science of spirits, the science of government, the science of heav-
enly bodies, and the science of serpent beings; and sky, earth, wind, space, water,
fire, gods, humans, domestic animals, birds, grasses, trees, and wild beasts down to
the very worms, moths, and ants; as well as the right and the wrong, truth and false-
hood, good and evil, the pleasant and the unpleasant, food and drink, this world and
the next — it is indeed through the faculty of perception that one perceives these. So,
venerate perception.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as perception — well, a man wins the worlds
possessing perception and knowledge; he obtains complete freedom of movement in
every place reached by perception, if he venerates brahman as perception.”

263

Chandogya Upanisad

7.10.2

“Sir, is there anything greater than perception?”

“Yes, there is something greater than perception.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

8 “Strength, undoubtedly, is greater than perception, for one strong man strikes
terror into the hearts of even a hundred men of perception. When someone
becomes strong, he comes to stand; when he stands, he comes to be one who serves;
when he serves, he comes to be a pupil; when he becomes a pupil, he comes to be a
man who sees, hears, thinks, discerns, performs rites, and perceives. By strength
does the earth persist, by strength also the intermediate region, the sky, the hills,
gods, humans, domestic animals, birds, grasses, trees, and wild beasts down to the
very worms, moths, and ants. By strength does the world persist. So, venerate
strength.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as strength — a man obtains complete freedom
of movement in every place reached by strength, if he venerates brahman as
strength.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than strength?”

“Yes, there is something greater than strength.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

9 “Food, undoubtedly, is greater than strength. Therefore, if someone were to
abstain from eating even for ten days and should continue to live, he neverthe-
less becomes unable to see, to hear, to think, to discern, to perform rites, or to per-
ceive. Upon returning to food, on the other hand, he becomes a man who is able to
see, to hear, to think, to discern, to perform rites, and to perceive. So, venerate food.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as food — well, a man wins the worlds pos-
sessing food and drink; he obtains complete freedom of movement in every place
reached by food, if he venerates brahman as food.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than food?”

“Yes, there is something greater than food.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

'I A “Water, undoubtedly, is greater than food. Therefore, when rain is not
1U plentiful, the vital functions (prana ) become despondent at the thought,
‘Food is going to get scarce.’ When, on the other hand, rain becomes plentiful, the
vital functions become joyous at the thought, ‘There’ll be plenty of food.’ All these
are simply specific forms of water — earth, intermediate region, sky, hills, gods, hu-
mans, domestic animals, birds, grasses, trees, and wild beasts down to the very
worms, moths, and ants; they are simply specific forms of water. So, venerate wa-
ter.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as water ( dp ) — well, a man obtains ( apnoti )
all his desires and becomes completely satisfied; he obtains complete freedom of
movement in every place reached by water, if he venerates brahman as water.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than water?”

265

7.10.2

The Early Upanisads

^icbi^R! qfe'rr I

3 T^fr 5 fW I cF^T I

1 1 ffcT ^RT: W&:

cNt ^T: I ^ J

ftcTqicT cjf^KrfcT c[T ffcT I cfcf q=T cRF#

getffW fcR?rfrt^rar rfh

=rr ffcr I cFr itct cR?# ^ff^cenwr: g^“ I «

M wm

T M I

3rim w

w SK?r:

Hl4Uq 1 3T^T RTR" ^ F

i^R^r

o

^nf^fRTfrT £R^T q^TT 1

FfW

o

FTT M
W^cT

pc^WT 1 iiMcW^W FcT
I 3Tfef w: fTRraqr 3fc

Ml

Chandogya Upanisad

7.13.2

“Yes, there is something greater than water.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

n “Heat, undoubtedly, is greater than water. So, when that holds back the
wind and heats up the space, people say: ‘It’s sizzling! It’s a scorcher! It’s
going to rain.’ Consequently, after revealing the heat first, there pours down the
water. Then, thunder rolls with lightning streaking upward and across the sky. Peo-
ple, therefore, say: ‘Lightning is flashing! Thunder is rolling! It’s going to rain.’
Consequently, after revealing the heat first, there pours down the water. So, vener-
ate heat.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as heat ( tejas ) — well, becoming full of radi-
ance ( tejasvin ), a man wins worlds that are full of radiance, worlds that are bright
and free from darkness; he obtains complete freedom of movement in every place
reached by heat, if he venerates brahman as heat.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than heat?”

“Yes, there is something greater than heat.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

' 1 O “Space, undoubtedly, is greater than heat, for both the sun and the moon, as
X Z. well as lightning, stars, and fire, are found in space. Across space one calls
out to someone, across space one hears that call, and across space one answers back.
Within space one enjoys pleasure, and throughout space one enjoys pleasure.
Within space one is born, and into space one is born. So, venerate space.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as space ( akasa ) — well, a man wins worlds
that are spacious ( akasavat ), worlds that are wide open (pr akasa), unconfined, and
far-flung; he obtains complete freedom of movement in every place reached by
space, if he venerates brahman as space.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than space?”

“Yes, there is something greater than space.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

B “Memory, undoubtedly, is greater than space. Therefore, if people should
assemble who do not remember — even many such people — they would not
be able to hear, consider, or recognize anything. When they do remember, then they
would be able to hear, consider, and recognize. Clearly, it is through memory that
one recognizes one’s children and cattle. So, venerate memory.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as memory — well, a man obtains complete
freedom of movement in every place reached by memory, if he venerates brahman
as memory.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than memory?”

“Yes, there is something greater than memory.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

267

7 . 14.1

The Early Upanisads

3TT5TT 3W FRT^Rfr I t FTCt ^TFTeM cfriffftr WiT

c\ o o

'T^^cT m cilcbJW %r? 5ft- I 3TT^TgW^T 1 1 ? II

?r *r 3rrat I mrni: ^pzrfRr I snfmr

frwflpfr mfci I me cfsn^r wwryTfr ir^fcr y srrat

l 3rfer wm smrni vm ffcr I snwrr W;i«rRi I cf*T
^H J i c (i r 5(41R : ciRr ll^ll

1 1 ffcT mg&l: w^: 1 1

RTofr cl MR 1 1 fir 1 ^RTT I W ETT 3 W m^l ?PlWrH TT^#rRrn^ fl<f
?p#ciTT I yw: mm ^nfcT I sft: mi mM I mm mMi I mil w f^Tcrr I
stmt mm I mfr mm I aw: mm I yw 3irypf : I y^fr mmr: 1 1 ? 1 1
Ei yRt ftcit err htctt err mm m mm$ 3T stierw m

Chandogya Upanisad

7 . 18.1

M “Hope, undoubtedly, is greater than memory, for only when it is kindled
with hope does memory recite vedic formulas, engage in ritual activities,
seek to obtain children and livestock, and aspire to winning this world and the next.
So, venerate hope.

2 “If someone venerates brahman as hope — well, by mere hope, all his desires
are fulfilled and his prayers are answered; he obtains complete freedom of move-
ment in every place reached by hope, if he venerates brahman as hope.”

“Sir, is there anything greater than hope?”

“Yes, there is something greater than hope.”

“Sir, please tell me that.”

■j “Lifebreath, undoubtedly, is greater than hope, for all this is fixed to life-

JL breath, as spokes are fixed to the hub. Lifebreath proceeds by means of

lifebreath; lifebreath gives lifebreath and gives to lifebreath. The father is lifebreath;
the mother is lifebreath; a brother is lifebreath; a sister is lifebreath; a teacher is
lifebreath; and a Brahmin is lifebreath.

2 “Now, if someone were to talk back somewhat harshly to his father, mother,
brother, sister, or teacher, or to a Brahmin, people are sure to rebuke him, saying:
‘Damn you! You are a patricide! You are a matricide! You are a fratricide! You are
a sororicide! You are a teacher-killer! You are a Brahmin-killer!’ 3 When their life-
breath has left them, on the other hand, even if someone were to throw them in a
pile with a poker and burn them up completely, no one would say to him: ‘You are
a patricide! You are a matricide! You are a fratricide! You are a sororicide! You are
a teacher-killer! You are a Brahmin-killer!’ — 4 for only lifebreath becomes all
these.”

A man who sees it this way, thinks about it this way, and perceives it this way
becomes a man who outtalks. And if people tell him, ‘You are a man who out-
talks,’ he should readily acknowledge, ‘Yes, I am a man who outtalks,’ and not
deny it.

16

Now, a man outtalks only when he outtalks with truth.”
Yes, sir, I’m going to be a man who outtalks with truth.”
Then you should seek to perceive the truth.”

Sir, I do seek to perceive the truth.”

"1 ^7 “Now, a man must first perceive before he speaks the truth — when one does
_L / not perceive, one does not speak the truth; only when one perceives does
one speak the truth. So, it is perception that you should seek to understand.”

“Sir, I do seek to understand perception.”

"I Q man must fi rst think before he perceives — when one does not think, one

X O does not perceive; only when one thinks does one perceive. So, it is think-
ing that you should seek to perceive.”

“Sir, I do seek to perceive thinking.”

269

7 . 19.1

The Early Upanisads

W t* JSr^TTcW I ^PST^Frg^' I TRcT I ^ ^

i%f^T%cfcJf 1 cr I 55 rat wfr fief ii?ii

1 1 ^feT 1 1

w t faffcre?W I Hiftftdfcbo^enfcr I f^^cr ssr^nfer I
faw f^rfnftci^ticr l ftw m^r f^rw ?fcr II?||

I ! ?fcr ft?r: 1 1

Chandogya Upanisad

7.25.1

A Q "A man must f irst have faith before he thinks — when one does not have
_L y faith, one does not think; only when one has faith does one think. So, it is
faith that you should seek to perceive.”

“Sir, I do seek to perceive faith.”

O n " 'A man must first produce before he has faith — when one does not pro-
duce, one does not have faith; only when one produces does one have faith.
So, it is production that you should seek to perceive.”

“Sir, I do seek to perceive production.”

O "1 “A man must first act before he produces — when one does not act, one does
Z« JL not produce; only when one acts does one produce. So, it is action that you
should seek to perceive.”

“Sir, I do seek to perceive action.”

O O “A man must first attain well-being before he acts — when one has not at-
tained well-being, one does not act; only when one has attained well-being
does one act. So, it is well-being that you should seek to perceive.”

“Sir, I do seek to perceive well-being.”

O Q “Now, well-being is nothing but plenitude. There is no prosperity in scar-
jLm\ J city. Prosperity is indeed plenitude. So, it is plenitude that you should seek
to perceive.”

“Sir, I do seek to perceive plenitude.”

O A “Where a man sees, hears, or discerns no other thing — that is plenitude.
Z-Tt Where one sees, hears, or discerns some other thing — that is scarcity. Now,
plenitude is the immortal, while scarcity constitutes what is mortal.”

“Sir, on what is plenitude based?”

“On one’s own greatness. Or, maybe, it is not based on greatness. 2 Cattle and
horses, elephants and gold, slaves and wives, farms and houses — these are what
people here call greatness. But I don’t consider them that way; no, I don’t, for they
are all based on each other.

O C “Plenitude, indeed, is below; plenitude is above; plenitude is in the west;

plenitude is in the east; plenitude is in the south; and plenitude is in the
north. Indeed, plenitude extends over this whole world.

“Now, the substitution of the word T — ‘I am, indeed, below; I am above; I am
in the west; I am in the east; I am in the south; and I am in the north. Indeed, I ex-
tend over this whole world.’

271

7.25.2

The Early Upanisads

3 FTRF Slic-HK^T ^ I STTc^cllfel WRlrHlHK^KIrHI q^iqic+ll ^TFcTT-
^1W ^WcT 3TlWPfRcf 3TT?t^ HcffWcT I q^T?[^ xp^FT ^

rsftc

W I 3 TF ^S^Wcfr
wnutr F^fcr \W\

^Tcilcbl FctfnfT

f: W&:

cTFT f cpT

r. q w

f. ?FT STTrRcf

TFT 3 TTCW

Fr^ cil" *F 3 T ^TTr-H cl :

f *mr ^rcj q^rfcr f tm =tTcT f:^rrnR; I
Fcf f q^T: q^Effcr 4 'q ISlfcI H^ 5 T: 1 1 ffcT

F wfcr f^rarr Fcifcr qwOT I
pram mrm % pgcn I

$TcT X[ x(w W^nf&T tT ffsifcT: 1 1

1 1 ^fcT mfsn 1 1

II ffcT ^FF^WTFT: II

Chandogya JJpanisad

8 . 1.1

2 “Next, the substitution of self — ‘The self, indeed, is below; the self is above;
the self is in the west; the self is in the east; the self is in the south; and the self is in
the north. Indeed, the self extends over this whole world.’

“A man who sees it this way, thinks about it this way, and perceives it this way;
a man who finds pleasure in the self, who dallies with the self, who mates with the
self, and who attains bliss in the self — he becomes completely his own master; he
obtains complete freedom of movement in all the worlds. Those who perceive it
otherwise, however, are ruled over by others and obtain perishable worlds; they
have no freedom of movement in any of the worlds.

O “When, indeed, a man sees it this way, thinks about it this way, and per-
ZiU ceives it this way — lifebreath springs from his self; hope springs from his
self; memory springs from his self; space springs from his self; heat springs from
his self; water springs from his self; appearance and disappearance spring from his
self; food springs from his self; strength springs from his self; perception springs
from his self; deep reflection springs from his self; thought springs from his self;
intention springs from his self; mind springs from his self; speech springs from his
self; name springs from his self; vedic formulas spring from his self; and rites
spring from his self. Indeed, this whole world springs from his self.”

2 In this regard there is this verse:

When a man rightly sees,
he sees no death,
no sickness or distress.

When a man rightly sees,
he sees all,
he wins all,
completely.

It is single, it’s three- and fivefold.

It’s thought to be sevenfold,
nine- or even elevenfold.

One hundred and eleven,

And also twenty thousand.

When one’s food is pure, one’s being becomes pure; when one’s being is pure,
one’s memory becomes strong; and when one acquires memory, all the knots are
cut away. To such a man who has wiped away all stains Lord Sanatkumara points
out the way to cross beyond darkness. It is he whom people refer to as Skanda.

ADHYAYA 8

1 “Now, here in this fort of brahman there is a small lotus, a dwelling place, and
within it, a small space. In that space there is something — and that’s what you
should try to discover, that’s what you should seek to perceive.”

273

Chandogya Upanisad

8.2.7

2 If they ask him: “Yes, here in this fort of brahman there is a small lotus, a
dwelling place, and within it, a small space. But what is there in that space that we
should try to discover, that we should seek to perceive?” — he should reply:

3 “As vast as this space here all around us,
is that space within the heart;

And in it are contained both earth and sky,

Both fire and wind, both the sun and the moon
(both lightning and the stars);

Both what belongs to it and what does not,
in it is contained all that.”

4 If they ask him further: “In this fort of brahman is contained the whole world,
all beings, and all desires. In that case, when old age overtakes it or when it per-
ishes, what is then left?” — 2 3 4 5 he should reply:

“That does not age,

as this body grows old;

That is not killed,

when this body is slain —

That is the real fort of brahman,
in it are contained all desires.

“That is the self free from evils — free from old age and death, free from sor-
row, free from hunger and thirst; the self whose desires and intentions become real.

“As the subjects of a king here in this world settle down as instructed, and
whatever frontier they covet — whatever region, whatever piece of land-— they make
a living on it; 6 7 and as here in this world the possession of a territory won by action
comes to an end, so in the hereafter a world won by merit comes to an end.

“So, those here in this world who depart without having discovered the self and
these real desires do not obtain complete freedom of movement in any of the
worlds, whereas those here in this world who depart after discovering the self and
these real desires obtain complete freedom of movement in all the worlds.

2 “If such a person desires the world of fathers, by his intention alone fathers rise
up. And, securing the world of the fathers, he rejoices.

2 “If such a person desires the world of mothers, by his intention alone mothers
rise up. And, securing the world of mothers, he rejoices.

3 “If such a person desires the world of brothers, by his intention alone brothers
rise up. And, securing the world of brothers, he rejoices.

4 “If such a person desires the world of sisters, by his intention alone sisters rise
up. And, securing the world of sisters, he rejoices.

5 “If such a person desires the world of friends, by his intention alone friends
rise up. And, securing the world of friends, he rejoices.

6 “If such a person desires the world of perfumes and garlands, by his intention
alone perfumes and garlands rise up. And, securing the world of perfumes and gar-
lands, he rejoices.

7 “If such a person desires the world of food and drink, by his intention alone
food and drink rise up. And, securing the world of food and drink, he rejoices.

275

8 . 2.8

The Early Upanisads

■3R fR R^fcT I TT|PRRtR RddlRd ddixl^ci: I

cR RrTtRrRRt 1 RRt RfPR \\ 6 \\ SR' fR ^c4l<*><*>|Hl *tRcT !
^f^qr^rrw f^RT: ttRRsRt I Rr tRc?Rr M RRcT IKII

t wrnrftwfr Rrfcr I q~ rft RPR?t I Rsr PipRqrRr ttRct-

RR I cPr RrR iRRR 1 1 ? o 1 1

1 1 ffcT ftcfan w&. 1 1

cT Rf MT: RRT ^T^cTTf^TFTT: I Rff MPT TRW^cPrPmT^ I R
R fiRcl': tffcT K crfRf #W RRct 1 1 ? 1 1 SR R RRf RRt R =3' RlT
RRTRRx*R RRt 5FT# cRT W RrR I SR - fjRR TTRT: RFTT
apjcTTf^FTT: 1 I RJRTfR RRlRfR ^m4hR tRrXtTT =T

RRg: I TT^RT; Rtf: STR SRiR iR sT^rRR T RrRTRR R

Rc^ST: I R 1 1 TT R STW fR I cRRpR fRn# prRRfcT cTRP|RR I
SRTRtf iRR?R# RRHcT 1 13 1 1 «R V THf d U <H 1 <fl SR' I ^frRRgRR qt
'Rlfrl'i’M'HH^I' Rt >5 RM'Hdd Trqr STTcdfcT ^IdN I ^dc^dHlRdcl^
iRfcT I cIR f R P/fTR sTRR TFT ^TcRRcT IIV|| RR f FT TtrR
RRRRcT I TraWfl^cFT I vW ?TcT fcT RRRt I SR m
RfR il'^fcf I RRRif i) -^fcT d'bHl'ilR I RtRcRif cilR-

itfR IKII

1 1 Ref gcffcr: TsTR: 1 1

3R q - snw ?r RR%RRr l Rf cRcfr f

5tjj t xjRpf 5fr^t =r gffr =r a^fcR I Ttf MRidfscfr RRRt I arcf -
ctm L H T RTF RvIrtlR: 1 1 ? 1 1 cIR l&l UR Rj dlcdlR: TTRR9f *RfcT I RjC
TrRRT rRT I RRTFft TRTRITR FdfcT I rfFTTgJ Rf Rj cft^fR
RPRRtRRrSIR I TT^fiRTcfr RR 5)$4cil=b: I R 1 1 cR Ref 3fTc5tR
cfalRR ! cRf RR c5t%5 FRRRf

RcrfcT I R M

1 1 RcT FcR : W^: 1 1

3R qw‘ fRR^TR 5(^d4Ac|' cRT I S(^p5 u l Rr R" RcTT & R^d' I

3 R srfRdRRTWct ^jTRSRf RT I RR^TR[RrR%R?t 1 1 ? 1 1

276

Chandogya Upanisad

8.5.1

8 “If such a person desires the world of singing and music, by his intention
alone singing and music rise up. And, securing the world of singing and music, he
rejoices.

9 “If such a person desires the world of women, by his intention alone women
rise up. And, securing the world of women, he rejoices.

10 “Whatever may be the object of his desire, anything that he may desire — by
his intention alone it rises up. And, securing it, he rejoices.

3 “Now, these real desires are masked by the unreal. Although they are real, they
have the unreal for a mask, for when someone close to him departs from this
world, he doesn’t get to see him here. 2 On the other hand, people who are close to
him, whether they are alive or dead, as well as anything else that he desires but does
not get — all that he finds by going there, for these real desires of his masked by the
unreal are located there.

“Take, for example, a hidden treasure of gold. People who do not know the ter-
rain, even when they pass right over it time and again, would not discover it. In
exactly the same way, all these creatures, even though they go there every day, do
not discover this world of brahman, for they are led astray by the unreal.

3 “Now, this self ( atman ) is located in the heart. And this is its etymology — ‘in
the heart (hrdi) is this (ay am),' and so it is called ‘heart’ ( hrdayam ). Anyone who
knows this goes to the heavenly world every single day.

4 “This deeply serene one who, after he rises up from this body and reaches the
highest light, emerges in his own true appearance — that is the self,” he said, “that is
the immortal; that is the one free from fear; that is brahman.'”

Now, the name of this brahman is “Real” ( satyam ). 5 This word has three sylla-
bles: sa, ti, and yam. Of these, sat is the immortal, and ti is the mortal, while the
syllable yam is what joins ^hose two together. Because the two are joined together
(yam) by it, it is called yam. Anyone who knows this goes to the heavenly world
every single day.

4 Now, this self is a dike, a divider, to keep these worlds from colliding with
each other. Days and nights do not pass across this dike, and neither does old
age, death, or sorrow, or even good or bad deeds. All evil things turn back from it,
for this world of brahman is free from evil things.

2 Upon passing across this dike, therefore, a blind man turns out not to be blind,
a wounded man turns out not to be wounded, and a sick man turns out not to be
sick. Upon passing across this dike, therefore, one even passes from night into day,
for, indeed, this world of brahman is lit up once and for all.

3 So, only those who find this world of brahman (brahmaloka) by living the life
of a celibate student (brahmacarya) come to possess that world, and they obtain
complete freedom of movement in all the worlds.

5 Now, what people normally call a sacrifice (yajha) is, in reality, the life of a
celibate student, for it is by the life of a celibate student that one finds him who

277

8 . 5.1

The Early Upanisads

srt inrrc.:4iicj cTcf I Her sttw-

drdTdr fSi*-c^ci I sri ^r : ti44 c i cfci I ^^xj^ur ^^nroRT-

dgfr IRII

sm - fa ddrwcT sr^r? 3 ^ ?rt I ^ fiw d ^r^rfcr t

l 3Rr dd^RnfacMM^ ^tij q'4 =-< dcr I cRRsg- 1 f %
'WP^fa' ^!Te5l% ^Rftwnftcft f^T I dtid^l 3 ? 2 dd: I eT?WT: ^fnT-
dcFT: I ddddrffacTT g%FT : 5Tgftftcf faRordd 1 1 3 1 1

cKT ^ cl I =IT xf fa" dlfafaT ^T55t% cPTH^It ds?T-

c5t^-; I ^TJT^rrfr ^Rrfcr iixii

o -o

1 1 d Wd: W^". 1 1

SRT dT TT?TT fdddT dH?SIW: ftycTRTlf^feT^T 1 igfdd facJdT

4tcTW ^%dfafar I 3R?r dl 3Tlf4cd: t£T 5>Jf TTq- fary ttt^ iftcT ^

fatfijd: It? 1 1 cRPTT dfTW STRTcT ddt dlfa" dWcfrd dTj ^cfa^dl'

3TTffadFr TSdd ddt fafafa iTVdfatd dig" d I 3 rd-; ,= id* IRd' cTT

srrf dTfad grrn I srrwfr dfafad: dcirafa fasgffadTf^far grrr: I fa 1 1

cra^cTcgH": dddT: ^WsT:' Idd d fadHlfcl I STT§" cldT dT% ^TTT
ddlfa I fa d >11011 iPpfcT I faddT % ^T fadfaT dfafa Ufa I

srt dt dddffadid fafar 1 dfafa I ddfacr srrfatdT anffakiffa df didifar

dlfarffa I d dT^FTR^td^c^Rfr ddffa I dld^IHlfa I |V| | 3Td dtcf-
^dRT^ftRT^TdfcT I 3fafafar faWfa^fadl'Pbdfa 1 I d sftftfcT dT ffal

41dd 2 I d dfa^farfaorddTTddrffafa" ddfafa I t^di* <slcg fal'd&li ffagdl
dddd" ffafafansffagdTd I fall dfar *fafa5: I

3ld xfal xf Hlddldldt gyfadfaffag_^<dl |

dfafadld^cdfaffa ffadd^dT ddddfa dddfdddfa ddffa" Ufa I
1 1 fafa W: WET: 1 1

d s;lrHIH^dHl L dr fad 4 ffagddffafatfaT fafadcfalsfahld: dcdddd'.

278

Chandogya Upanisad

8 . 7.1

(yah) is the knower ( jnata ). And what people normally call an offering ( ista) is, in
reality, the life of a celibate student, for it is by seeking ( istva ) through the life of a
celibate student that one finds the self. 2 Further, what people normally call “the
embarking on a long sacrifice’’ ( sattrdyana ) is, in reality, the life of a celibate stu-
dent, for it is by the life of a celibate student that one finds protection (tram) for
that which is (sat), for the self (atman). And what people normally call a vow of
silence ( mauna ) is, in reality, the life of a celibate student, for it is through the life
of a celibate student that one finds the self and then thinks ( manute ) of it. 3 What
people normally call “the embarking on a fast” (anasakayana), moreover, is, in re-
ality, the life of a celibate student, for the self one finds by living the life of a
celibate student does not perish (na nas'yati).

And finally, what people normally call “the embarking to the wilderness”
(aranydyana) is, in reality, the life of a celibate student. Now, Ara and Nya are the
two seas in the world of brahman, that is, in the third heaven from here. In that
world are also the lake Airammadtya, the banyan tree Somasavana, the fort
Aparajita, and brahman’ s golden hall Prabhu.

4 So, only those who, by the life of a celibate student, find these two seas, Ara
and Nya, in the world of brahman come to possess that world, and they obtain com-
plete freedom of movement in all the worlds.

6 Now, these veins of the heart consist of the finest essence of orange, white,
blue, yellow, and red. The sun up there, likewise, is orange, white, blue, yel-
low, and red. 2 Just as a long highway traverses both the villages, the one near by
and the one far away, so also these rays of the sun traverse both the worlds, the one
down here and the one up above. Extending out from the sun up there, they slip into
these veins here, and extending out from these veins here, they slip into the sun up
there.

3 So, when someone is sound asleep here, totally collected and serene, and sees
no dreams, he has then slipped into these veins. No evil thing can touch him, for he
is then linked with radiance.

4 Now, when someone here has become extremely infirm, people sit around
him and ask: “Do you recognize me?” “Do you recognize me?” As long as he has
not departed from the body, he would recognize them. 5 But when he is departing
from this body, he rises up along those same rays. He goes up with the sound “OM.”
No sooner does he think of it than he reaches the sun. It is the door to the farther
world, open to those who have the knowledge but closed to those who do not. 6 In
this connection, there is this verse:

One hundred and one, the veins of the heart.

One of them runs up to the crown of the head.

Going up by it, he reaches the immortal.

The rest, in their ascent, spread out in all directions.

7 “The self (atman) that is free from evils, free from old age and death, free from
sorrow, free from hunger and thirst; the self whose desires and intentions are
real — that is the self that you should try to discover, that is the self that you should

279

8 . 7.1

The Early Upanisads

HdTOfW: ?fl3^oq": FT f^f%fn%cT^T: I d" c-ilc^H IM'lfcl

qddMWdldR'HddRsT f^TIWIcftfcT F II? I!

dRl^R ^ TQTT | cf stI^^tI ddlcdHdRq^lHl ^ -H I <~H f-

d^w dim stwnptfrr dim mdiRRi l W
iiiRmftgqqmq I cfr iraf^Fn^- dfiddit wrfcrwRFTM^: irii

Rr f STf^TcT- dRrRr sfwqi^gi 1 it f qmtcRRm I f^firsgr-

Tilddltdftrd I eft fldgi 3n?dl L l^d L ll L dl tRjRt fi*[cgf4ifr^4 fiRm
cdRfiW: dc^mpi: RnsRwr: dT fM^W^fcfST: I df dim

RlmdlRfcT dim mdd^dlcdHdgfW f4dHicflfc| 3 dddcfT dit 4q-
ddt I dft-^'dlddlwfW 1 I R 1 1

it f RwidfcRRw d qdtsfRRr 1 qmr ^fcf qqr arrFtfcr I qdq-
q^dwraq §rRRr l 3w itsi ddiRdj qRimdci wrw^f mm qq
Rir I qd d q% dimitf- qf^iw qRr l |x 1 1

1 1 ifcT ddR: dim 1 1

^qsrcrcr sriwddiw dqiwrr d RmfRrdmt q^c#rfcr l ft Ftmr-

C\

distal id 5blft I eft" F ^.N'-vlodM f %• q^ra- Rtf | FRRJ: diiimidf
w anw-r w 3 tt Rmw m dim qfcr^rftfrr 1 1 ? 1 1

ft F Hdinfd^^ld dTt'mg-Rl ddddl HReqcf) ^cRq^ldisiRdlRlfcr I
ft F dWoSffft |pdFHt MR^'dt q^qRT^S^TTRWcr I ft F
qmqfiwd f^7 q^d Rir IRII

eft qHgii^dd Idf ddd: dT£dd>|;-d! ^Tddit qftqqft m qdiiRr
wr. dwmfft gddR qRt^diRRi I qd sndtffr fmr^r I qqqqrFr-

c.

ddicTq W^fet I ft f i’ll'-d^t ^dddg: I R II

it Fi'tRd 5FdlHfdd c ll" c l 3-igMrtmcdMHdgfd'cl dddf deRT qd^^RdR

dRwRr im dimr m ft I qr f dTdqpm qq ftim

Rtsgd^ldTJT I ct«t tdmRdf tRld ddtiF dim 3fW nRdi: I

^ilcHIdidF •Hqddlrdl-f qfRsRdRT ei^NdTilild dTJ iff" I R 1 1

280

Chandogya Upanisad

8 . 8.4

seek to perceive. When someone discovers that self and perceives it, he obtains all
the worlds, and all his desires are fulfilled.” So said Prajapati.

2 Both the gods and the demons became aware of this, and each side talked it
over: “Come, let’s discover that self ( atman ) by discovering which one obtains all
the worlds, and all one’s desires are fulfilled.” Then Indra set out from among the
gods, and Virocana, from among the demons. And going there independently, the
two arrived in the presence of Prajapati carrying firewood in their hands.

3 They lived the life of celibate students for thirty-two years. Then Prajapati
asked them: “Why have you lived here? What do you want?”

They replied: “Sir, people report these words of yours: ‘The self (atman) that is
free from evils, free from old age and death, free from sorrow, free from hunger and
thirst; the self whose desires and intentions are real — that is the self that you should
try to discover, that is the self that you should seek to perceive. When someone dis-
covers that self and perceives it, he obtains all the worlds, and all his desires are
fulfilled.’”

“So, you have lived here seeking that self.” 4 Prajapati then told them: “This
person that one sees here in the eye — that is the self (atman)-, that is the immortal;
that is the one free from fear; that is brahman.”

“But then, sir, who is the one that’s seen here in the water and here in a mir-
ror?”

“It is the same one who is seen in all these surfaces,” replied Prajapati.

8 “Look at yourselves (atman) in a pan of water. And let me know if there is
anything you do not perceive about yourselves.” So they looked into a pan of
water. Prajapati asked them: “What do you see?”

And they replied: “Sir, we see here our entire body (atman), a perfect likeness
down to the very hairs of the body, down to the very nails.”

2 Prajapati told them then: “Adorn yourself beautifully, dress well, and spruce
yourself up, and then look into a pan of water.” So they adorned themselves beauti-
fully, dressed well, and spruced themselves up, and then looked into a pan of water.
Prajapati asked them: “What do you see?”

3 And they replied: “Sir, as the two of us here are beautifully adorned, well
dressed, and all spruced up, in exactly the same way are these, sir, beautifully
adorned, well dressed, and all spruced up.”

“That is the self (atman)-, that is the immortal; that is the one free from fear;
that is brahman,” Prajapati told them. And the two of them left with contented
hearts.

4 Seeing the two depart, Prajapati observed: “There they go, without learning
about the self (atman), without discovering the self! The side that will hold to this
correspondence (upanisad), whether it is the gods or the demons, is bound to be
vanquished.”

Now, Virocana, his heart totally content, went back to the demons and an-
nounced to them this correspondence (upanisad): “It is the body (atman) that one
should extol in this world. It is the body that one should care for. When someone
extols the body alone in this world, when he cares only for the body, he wins both

281

The Early Upanisads

Chandogya Upanisad

8.10.4

this world and the next.” 5 Therefore, even today people here say of a man who
gives no gifts, has no faith, and offers no sacrifices: “What a demonic fellow!” This
is, indeed, the correspondence ( upanisad ) that demons hold to; they perform the
funerary rites for the body of a dead person with offerings of food, garments, and
ornaments, for they believe that in this way they will win the next world.

9 Indra, on the other hand, even before he had reached the gods, saw this danger:
“If this is the self — then, just as it becomes beautifully adorned when this body
is beautifully adorned, well dressed when this body is well dressed, and spruced up
when this body is spruced up, in exactly the same way it is bound to become
blind when this body becomes blind, lame when this body becomes lame, and crip-
pled when this body becomes crippled. Upon the death of the body, indeed, it, too,
is bound to die. I see nothing worthwhile in this.”

2 So he returned again carrying firewood in his hands. Prajapati said to him:
“Maghavan, didn’t you leave together with Virocana with contented hearts? So,
why have you come back? What do you want?”

He replied: “If this is the self— then, sir, just as it becomes beautifully adorned
when this body is beautifully adorned, well dressed when this body is well dressed,
and spruced up when this body is spruced up, in exactly the same way it is bound to
become blind when this body becomes blind, lame when this body becomes lame,
and crippled when this body becomes crippled. Upon the death of the body, indeed,
it, too, is bound to die. I see nothing worthwhile in this.”

3 Prajapati told him: “It is exactly as you say, Maghavan. But I will explain it to
you further. Stay here for another thirty-two years.”

So he lived there for another thirty-two years, after which Prajapati spoke to

him:

"1 (I The one who goes happily about in a dream — that is the self; that is the
X U immortal; that is the one free from fear; that is brahman .”

Indra then left, his heart content. But even before he had reached the gods, he
saw this danger: “It is true that this self does not become blind when this body be-
comes blind, or lame when the body becomes lame. This self is clearly unaffected
by the faults of the body — 2 it is not killed when this body is slain or rendered lame
when this body becomes lame. Nevertheless, people do in a way kill it and chase
after it; it does in a way experience unpleasant things; and in a way it even cries. I
see nothing worthwhile in this.”

3 So he returned again carrying firewood in his hands. Prajapati said to him:
“Maghavan, didn’t you leave with a contented heart? So, why have you come back?
What do you want?”

He replied: “It is true, sir, that this self does not become blind when this body
becomes blind, or lame when the body becomes lame. This self is clearly unaffected
by the faults of this body — 4 it is not killed when this body is slain or rendered lame
when this body becomes lame. Nevertheless, people do in a way kill it and chase
after it; it does in a way experience unpleasant things; and in a way it even cries. I
see nothing worthwhile in this.”

283

8 . 10.4

The Early Upanisads

cf I ffff#t gjffFct ^MfcT I f in#i gjftw

I ff^- ftftf llvii

1 1 ^fcT ;^TF: ?PTO: 1 1

cP^Pc^T: FFFT: te FTF F feFTFRtTF FTFtfcT ttFTF I ^F^T-
MWfcf^ suffer I F W FRTfFF: 5IFFW | F pIM"'2f ^T^cT^T I
Flf FecFFTF FCTFmcFIF PTFIFIFFfFFflfcT I Ft ^FlfF ^cf[^T I f^FRT-

^farftcfr Fpftr I fifff fPf FFrpfrftr 1 1 ? 1 1

F F^TFTTf^T: JFtFPT I cf f FFTFfcTFFPF W?MRf|^T: SITPFft:
f^ftrFF'FTFFF* fftf ! F ftFPF FTF *F?FF FFF F3FFRFTF PTFIFF-

FfTfFFftlcr I pt xT^mfSr ^cfri^r I f^Fra^M rfr I fuff fN _
F^FPftftr ll^ll

1T^% T^iMcT ftPTF I t^F FtF ct ^^^cJnWFF^T I FT itoTFT-
tcFFTF I FFRF^T TOP F#jftfcT I F flTOTfa' TOF F^ogFra I FTOT--
P5FF F%: I q^TFFFTf: I U^FTF f t FPpT FFFTFfFTTOTt F^HPfjFTF I
FF^ fTFTF 1 1^1 1

1 1 ffrT P/TOPF: FT 0 ! - : 1 1

FFTOFpf FT FftWF fcFF! I PFFiF; FI rFftFFTFFFtsf^PFH F I
FTFT t" FFftT: f^Flf^FTFIF I F t FFttFF FF: 41 ^fcl fT^cT I

ararflt FfF FF F RrFlM FJFF: ll?ll

FFflTt FTF: I FF ^fFFFf^FffkP^TT^T I FF^FIFFWTFTFFFT-
PF^FFTF FT ^ftfcTFTFFT ?%F F^l \\R\\ qpFltF

F SRH Tpt SFTP^S ft FFTFFFF Ft ^TtlrfFFFFF *^F F^FTf^ri^PFF^' I F
FFFFW: 1 I F FF F^TcT F^TF^SF FFFTF: Fftfap? FI%FT fnlttf^pf

■o *'

FTTOTF FRf?TF FtlFF I F FPT TOFF FTFFT FTO ^F^FTFFftFS^t TOTt
TO 1 1 ^ 1 1

FF FtFFIFFFFji^FW' Fgl F FFgP: JFFt TO?FTF FS;T: I FF Ft
if^F ftTFFftfrT F FTFFT TOFF FFTF i FF Ft ttFFf^FFTpTOttftr F
FTrFli^TTOTFRTF PW I FF Ft ^F ^ u Fl41fcY F FTFF FPTOF

284

Chanclogya Upanisad

8.12.5

Prajapati told him: “It is exactly as you say, Maghavan. But I will explain it to
you further. Stay here for another thirty-two years.”

So he lived there for another thirty-two years, after which Prajapati spoke to

him:

n “When one is fast asleep, totally collected and serene, and sees no
dreams — that is the self; that is the immortal; that is the one free from fear;
that is brahman .”

Indra then left, his heart content. But even before he had reached the gods, he
saw this danger: “But this self as just explained, you see, does not perceive itself
fully as, ‘I am this’ ; it does not even know any of these beings here. It has become
completely annihilated. I see nothing worthwhile in this.”

2 So he returned again carrying firewood in his hands. Prajapati said to him:
“Maghavan, didn’t you leave with a contented heart? So, why have you come back?
What do you want?”

He replied: “But, sir, this self as just explained, you see, does not perceive itself
fully as ‘I am this,’ nor even does it know any of these beings here. It has become
completely annihilated. I see nothing worthwhile in this.”

3 Prajapati told him: “It is exactly as you say, Maghavan. But I will explain it to
you further, but only under the following condition — stay here for another five
years.”

So he lived there for another five years. Altogether, that makes one hundred
and one years. That is why people say: “For one hundred and one years did
Maghavan live as a celibate student with Prajapati.”

Prajapati then spoke to him:

*1 O “This body, Maghavan, is mortal; it is in the grip of death. So, it is the
JL /Lm abode of this immortal and nonbodily self. One who has a body is in the
grip of joy and sorrow, and there is no freedom from joy and sorrow for one who
has a body. Joy and sorrow, however, do not affect one who has no body.

2 “The wind is without a body, and so are the rain-cloud, lightning, and thunder.
These are without bodies. Now, as these, after they rise up from the space up above
and reach the highest light, emerge in their own true appearance, 3 in the very same
way, this deeply serene one, after he rises up from this body and reaches the highest
light, emerges in his own true appearance. He is the highest person. He roams about
there, laughing, playing, and enjoying himself with women, carriages, or relatives,
without remembering the appendage that is this body. The lifebreath is yoked to this
body, as a draft animal to a cart.

4 “Now, when this sight here gazes into space, that is the seeing person, the fac-
ulty of sight enables one to see. The one who is aware: ‘Let me smell this’ — that is
the self; the faculty of smell enables him to smell. The one who is aware: ‘Let me
say this’ — that is the self; the faculty of speech enables him to speak. The one who
is aware: ‘Let me listen to this’ — that is the self; the faculty of hearing enables him
to hear. 5 The one who is aware: ‘Let me think about this’ — that is the self; the mind

285

8 . 12.4

The Early Upanisads

^fr^nr 1 1 v 1 1 w ?fr ^ WFfrfcr 1 sttw I wrw I ?r ^r

T^r q^T ttr wtW4WRW[ ?T q^f 5T5Tc5t^ I Ml

ct 3T q^r ^rr 3TTwnT3wfr I wrr^ff ^ ?5tw snw. 1 xr

cfW: ! ST q^WTfcf ^PTRIW^IRH^H^^I f^TFnfcT I

<3

ffcT f R^TTRicT^RT^r WqfcRWT I K 1 1

1 1 ^fcT 5K5T: ?sW: 1 1

WRWW R# I WWWW 5R^T I 3R ^ ^q#T f%^T TFT WT
^ WnfWrR^T 9W 5TftRT^ct ^cTTW sl^lciMH PTFTW 1 41 TT l^WT-
^fHcT 2 II? I!

1 1 ffcT WTW: WT: 1 1

3TW?fr t W WWfrf^ftclT I cT WrTTT T5[ WJ# <ET 3FTW I
WT RTT Wftf WTpT WJT *ii' Wt WT WT felW I
zrefisg^ymfcy I *r fir *rerat w: I ^tctwi# 3 foqf 4
TffW II? II

1 1 5% : T§£t: W 1 1

cntcl"S~ WW WPT M'JtlHlci^H^ TJ: TWR: I 3i IT l4-

^Ttw^r wf^art ttT:

waiiTW’^n^ i 4r arf^if^wjwr^r ByfrfWRffwT^cTRr-

w cMw i t TcfwTWFjT stfTcstwrfMwt I t xr
T =ET TOcT# ll?ll

•o *

1 1 ffcT W5T: W*g: 1 1

|| 34VW3WR; II
|| *% II

286

Chcmdogya Upanisad

8.15.1

is his divine faculty of sight. This very self rejoices as it perceives with his mind,
with that divine sight, these objects of desire found in the world of brahman.

6 “It is this self that the gods venerate, as a result of which they have obtained
all the worlds and have had all their desires fulfilled. Likewise, when someone dis-
covers this self and comes to perceive it, he will obtain all the worlds and have all
his desires fulfilled.”

That was what Prajapati said.

"I O From the dark I go into the multicolored, and from the multicolored into the
JL dark. Shaking off evil, like a horse its hair, and freeing myself, like the
moon from Rahu’s jaws, I, the perfected self ( atman ), cast off the body, the imper-
fect, and attain the world of brahman.

M Now, what is called space is that which brings forth name and visible ap-
pearance. That within which they are located — that is brahman; that is the
immortal; that is the self (atman).

I go into Prajapati’s assembly hall and dwelling! I am the glory of the Brah-
mins, the glory of the Ksatriyas, the glory of the Vaisyas! I have attained glory! I
am the glory of glories! Let me not go to the gray and toothless state, to the tooth-
less, gray, and slobbery state!

"1 All this Brahma told to Prajapati; Prajapati to Manu; and Manu to his
1 children.

From the teacher’s house— where he learned the Veda in the prescribed manner
during his free time after his daily tasks for the teacher — he returns, and then, in his
own house, he does his daily vedic recitation in a clean place, rears virtuous chil-
dren, draws in all his sense organs into himself, and refrains from killing any
creature except for a worthy person — someone who lives this way all his life attains
the world of brahman, and he does not return again.

The end of the Chandogya Upanisad.

287

THREE

Taittiriya Upanisad

The Taittiriya Upanisad constitutes chapters 7, 8, and 9 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka,
which is itself a supplement added to the Taittiriya Brahmana of the Black Yajur-
veda. Varenne (1968) has noted the composite character of the TU. The first chapter
of the TU stands apart from the other two and is sometimes recognized as a separate
Upanisad. Sayaria in his commentary on the TA calls it samhitopanisad, while some
editions of TU call it siksopanisad. Indian editions of TU call this chapter siksa-
dhyayah prathamd valli. Beginning with Deussen (1897), most translators have
called it siksavalll, making the title parallel with those of the other two chapters and
thus obscuring the traditional view that the first chapter is either a separate Upanisad
or at least a section standing apart from the other two. Probably combining the two
titles, LV calls this chapter siksavallyadhyayah. The second chapter is called anan-
davalli or brahmavalli (sometimes combined to brahmdmndavalli), and the third
chapter is entitled bhrguvalll. Taken together the two last chapters form a distinct
text, and Sayana calls it vdrunyupanisad. That he considered it a separate text is also
borne out by the fact that he places a couple of mangala verses at the beginning of
the second chapter. In the Taittiriya Aranyaka, these three chapters are followed by
the final tenth chapter that comprises the Mahanarayana Upanisad, not included in
this collection. Witzel (1977, 1979, 1980) has edited and translated the little-known
text Katha-Siksa-Upanisad (KaSU) and compared it to the siksavalll of the TU, to
which it is closely related. 1 have given the variant readings of the KaSU in the
notes.

CONTENTS

1

1

2

Invocation

Phonetics

288

Taittiriya Upanisad

3 Correspondences of phonetic combinations

4 Teacher’s prayer

5-6 The correspondences of the Calls

7 Fivefold divisions and correspondences of cosmos and body

8 The universe as OM

9-10 Importance of vedic recitation

1 1 Instructions to a departing student

12 Student’s prayer

2

1- 2 The self consisting of food

2- 3 The self consisting of lifebreath

3- 4 The self consisting of mind

4- 5 The self consisting of understanding

5 The self consisting of bliss

6 Brahman as the real; brahman creates the universe

7 The real arising from the unreal

8-9 Description of the bliss of brahman ; the way a dead person
attains brahman

3

1 Varuna’s instruction to Bhrgu on brahman

2 Brahman as food

3 Brahman as lifebreath

4 Brahman as mind

5 Brahman as perception

6 Brahman as bliss

7-9 Instruction regarding food and its correspondences

10

1 On giving food to others

2-4 Veneration of food and its correspondences

5 The passage after death

6 Eulogy of food

289

3T ^ firsr: 3T cfW: 5T % W^RT I
t =T fgFrfcH 57 ^7 f^ag**sf>R: 1 1
R Rt 5T5T^T I
RTR^ct qrwt I
5RW IfTl% I
c*7Ftcr 2 5RW sl^T I

w cff^nft" I

^crf^Pr I

cRTP^ I

I

37^ RI'Rctg ^FJRTT I
5nf%: 5TT^T: ST^xT: 1 1 ? I i

1 1 SjfcT R^PTTS^W: 1 1

3S 1 sft^TT sttWWFT: I WT- 1 *71 TT W&W I HFT TTnTFT I fc*TW:
5ft^TfWPT: II? 1 1

1 1 IjfrT fefWrs^T^: 1 1

^ W: l«f t sl^M^RR I ST^TTcT: #ftcTFTT ^Pl^K oTttw-
wft: I i-rJtof^TTinr I 3ri%i c5t - r fci r r Ri fc| ^ r flra^wnwr I err

•O N

R^m^'dT ^TTEIW I 3T^]f^'«t^JT I gfMt g^W I I

3TT5i^r: TTf^r: II ? II RW: RTETHbR; I ^fi%o5t^T I SRTlft ^fciW I
3T%: Rcf'^R if | 3uf^7 ^rTRWT | 3TFT: *7%: I t^cf: TTOTW I ^T%-

290

1 SIKSAVALLI

1

OM

May Mitra be kind to us!

May Varuna, may Aryaman!

May Indra Brhaspati !

And Visnu of long strides!

Homage to brahmanl
Homage to you, Wind!

You alone are the visible brahman !

I will proclaim you,

And you alone as the visible brahmanl
I will proclaim you as the right!

I will proclaim you as the true!
May it help me.

May it help the teacher.

Yes, may it help me.

And may it help the teacher.

OM

Peace! Peace! Peace!

2

3

OM! We will now explain phonetics — phoneme, accent, quantity, strength, ar-
ticulation, and connection. That describes the field of phonetics.

May both of us attain fame!

May both of us obtain the luster of sacred knowledge!

Next, we will explain the hidden connection ( upanisad ) of combination with
reference to five topics — the worlds, the lights, knowledge, progeny, and the body
( atman ). They call these the “large-scale combinations.”

With reference to the worlds — the preceding word is the earth, the following
word is the sky, their union is space, 2 and their link is the wind. So it is with refer-
ence to the worlds.

With reference to the lights — the preceding word is the fire, the following word
is the sun, their union is the waters, and their link is lightning. So it is with reference
to the lights.

291

1.3.2

The Early Upanisads

^fcTw I wnRrRrwr I wwf: Tfew I rii I Rrar

flf I WW I fMlMcpW I WTlRwHI I McTT I ftcTT-

xRW( I 5F3TT ?rf%: I ?WT MTTMT I *wRlWrr (Ull 3TWWMI I
WRI I WRT IRWWW I WMf%r: I f^gT ^TPHT I ^T-

STTFW I ^eftW Wra1%cTT: I H C^imr WH^dl MTWRTT ^ I ff^T?T
wrq^: l wt^twr]--/ g^-ur IRIi

1 1 ^fcT 1 1

f^ 5 T : 1 I

W ^T' *fW 3T^?TPT %C[ ETR^it 3 fUM 4 1 1

srOt ir f^nfw 5 f^r 6 *r I

^nffw ^ f^wr s 1 1

C\ O -\

WW c»Rr
t^mt ft%cr.
get *r %rFr ! I

ST13 fT-tT r ftwHI [?] ^sitejkWTT: 1 I
WT% WT WW ZtWWr =5T Mfef i I
cTcfr it RfWW F5tw T^rfir: Hf MW 1 1

3TT M WJ WMlf^T: MW I
f§r 4 m wj ^r^rfH: ^ I
5T 6 m WT sl^Niftur: MW I
Wwf If^rrf^T: MW I

5H|i|^ 7 §|^|x||Ru|; IRII

CRTT 1 WTSM^ mw I

mmaRmR' 3 mw I
cf MT ^FT yR$l#r‘ MW I
?T M W srf%5T MW I

ctRwwwt^ 5 Rr wt mRt 6 wr mw I

292

Taittirvya Upanisad

1 . 4.3

With reference to knowledge — the preceding word is the teacher, 3 the follow-
ing word is the pupil, their union is knowledge, and their link is instruction. So it is
with reference to knowledge.

With reference to progeny — the preceding word is the mother, the following
word is the father, their union is the child, and their link is procreation. So it is with
reference to progeny.

4 With reference to the body ( atman ) — the preceding word is the lower jaw, the
following word is the upper jaw, their union is speech, and their link is the tongue.
So it is with reference to the body.

These are the large-scale combinations. When someone knows these large-scale
combinations ( samdha ) as explained here — he will possess ( sam-dha -) offspring,
livestock, the luster of sacred knowledge, a food supply, and the heavenly world.

The dazzling bull among vedic hymns,

Sprung from the immortal,

Sprung from vedic hymns —

That is Indra!

May he deliver me with wisdom!

In my memory, O God, may the immortal be fixed!
My body, may it be untrammeled!

My tongue, may it say the sweetest things!

My ears, may they hear the wealth of sacred lore!

You are brahman's chest,

Covered with wisdom.

Guard what I have heard.

She brings, she extends , 2 quickly she produces,
For herself and always for me —
clothes and cows,
food and drink.

So, bring Prosperity, bring her to me,
rich in sheep and cows.

Svaha!

Students, may they come to me! Svaha!

Students, may they flock to me! Svaha!

Students, may they rush to me! Svaha!

Students, may they be controlled! Svaha!

Students, may they be tranquil! Svaha!

3 May I be famous among men! Svaha!

More affluent than the very rich! Svaha!

May I, O Bhaga, enter you! Svaha!

May you, O Bhaga, enter me! Svaha!

In you, O Bhaga, branched a thousandfold,

In you I shall be cleansed! Svaha!

293

1.4.3

The Early Upanisads

TOf: M' W W I

ft sr^rrfM' ti icKl'M'Tj F^d: wi$r 1 1

yfci^nsf^r 5r in ft% r m RSRr 1 1 ^ 1 1

1 1 SjfrT RT^SRTFF: 1 1

FT HdlRdtfr Rl'gcf'l: I mmw f ^sffrr I
WT^rwr: r^rttf I ^ I ?T^ nr I ?r 3 trft I ^rt: I

^ftfcT FT 3R RFF: | gcf fRRlf^FT I fWftFFfT c^FT II? 1 1 W

I ftt f# f#rF I Fftfor ft srffr: I *pr ffcr

FTf: I gcff^FTlf^rF: I Ff ^fcT RW: I '-Kh-T' FTF - Rrff&T ^ftcfff^
F#RcT I gftfcT FT FTF~: I RT ^tcT FTTFlfr I §FftfcT Rg^T ll’RlI Ff ^fcT
f^t l f^ftt ftf - Trf l gftfcr t rfr I ff - fwrFT: I

§Fftfcl 5RTT: I Ff lief 3TFFT I 3T?Ff FTF FT^ RFTT F^RcT 1 1 FT FT

^psacTwa^at I Rrerawr ri^trt: i ft ft ft §k sr^r I ft^sf^
^T dloidN^Pcf 1 1^ 1 1

1 1 ffcf FFF^gFTFT 1 1

FT F q^SFT^RT 3TRTRT: I Ff^FRT RFFt FFtFF": I 3FJcft ftRJRT: I
3RTH FTFg^ I F I^T FFT fennel' I F^Flfr: I FFT# ^FTFrfT fFFcIcl I

oEpft^r sfhfFRTc^ | RfFTf^sfFT l rt ?fcr ft# n?n

ftcFli^T I FTf ffeT Ffrf# I 3TT5TtfcT I armtfcT J-HFFdfdF I

FTFFf#3Jfgwf# I ^ ->1 H fcl T^ Ft H M icl : I P^TFefT FFtef I 3flF?l$l$r£!T I
FTcFTcF" RTFTFTF F H 3TIF ■F I 51Tf^dRPJe§RT^JrIR I ?fcf R I "41 H 41 J,i -n ~
RIW IRII

1 1 ffeT FF5#gFTF3 : 1 1

gfsRRff^T ^t^^cTRTlf^TI: I FF5RTFT F^gFlf# I STTF

FlFTT# FP'FFF'F 3TTFFFT 3TTcFT l 1 1

SfFTSF 1 rF F I STTWf °FTFtsFFT 3FTF"- FTFTT: I ## RTF FTTFF^ I

294

Taittirlya Upanisad

1 . 7.1

As waters flow down the slope;

And the months with the passing of the days;

So, O Creator, from everywhere,

May students come to me! Svaha!

You are a neighbor!

Shine on me!

Come to me!

5 Bhur, bhuvas, and suvar: these are the three Calls. Mahacamasya, however, has
taught a fourth such utterance, namely, mahas. This last is brahman — it is the
body ( dtrnan ), while the other deities are the limbs.

This world down here is bhur, the intermediate region is bhuvas, that world up
there is suvar, 2 and the sun is mahas, for all the worlds are made joyous ( mah -) by
the sun. The fire is bhur, the wind is bhuvas, the sun is suvar, and the moon is ma-
has, for all the lights are made joyous by the moon. The Rg verses are bhur , the
Saman chants are bhuvas, the Yajus formulas are suvar, 3 and brahman (=OM) is
mahas, for all the Vedas are made joyous by brahman. The out-breath is bhur, the
in-breath is bhuvas, the inter-breath is suvar, and food is mahas, for all the breaths
are made joyous by food.

So these four are divided in four ways, making four sets of four Calls. Anyone
who knows them knows brahman, and all the gods offer tribute to him.

6 In this space here within the heart lies the immortal and golden person con-
sisting of the mind. And this thing that hangs like a nipple between the two
palates, it is Indra’s passage. Bursting through the two halves of the skull at the
point where the hairs part, he establishes himself in the fire by making the call bhiir,
in the wind by making the call bhuvas, 2 in the sun by making the call suvar, and in
brahman by making the call mahas. He obtains sovereignty and becomes the lord of
the mind, the lord of speech, the lord of sight, the lord of hearing, and the lord of
perception. And thereafter, this is what he becomes — the brahman whose body is
space, whose self is truth, whose pleasure ground is the lifebreath, and whose joy is
the mind; the brahman who is completely tranquil and immortal. Praclnayogya,
venerate it in this manner.

Earth

Intermediate

Sky

Quarters

Intermediate

Region

Quarters

Fire

Wind

Sun

Moon

Stars

Waters

Plants

Trees

Space

Body ( atman )

That was with respect

to beings. Now

with respect

to the body:

Out-breath

Inter-breath

In-breath

Up-breath

Link-breath

Sight

Hearing

Mind

Speech

Touch

Skin

Flesh

Sinew

Bone

Marrow

295

1 . 7.1

The Early JJpanisacls

frt l '^J'-Kqixiq I qr^w <tt h% I

qr^TFT FgTjfTfcr II? II

1 1 ffcf FH^TlFFT^: 1 1

3TtftfcT 5T5T I 3frf^Tcftf W&{ I ajlfiTc^cK^fcl^ 1 FT m sn^fr
FlI^NilPd | FFni^T J||i|[^i I sff^FTf^ 2 SRFTf^T 5RTf% I

3frf^TFrecrf: qfrnrrt qf^FTFifcf I aftftlcr s^rr sraftfcr I affftr-

Taittirlya Upanisad

1 . 11.2

After making this analysis, a seer proclaimed: “Clearly, this whole world is fivefold.
By means of the fivefold one surely secures the fivefold.”

8 Brahman is OM. This whole world is OM. When one says OM, it indicates
compliance. Thus, when they are instructed, “O! Make him listen!” they do
make him listen. They say OM before singing the Saman chants; they say OM SOM
before they recite the hymns of praise; the Adhvaryu priest says OM before giving
his response; the Brahman priest says OM before singing the introductory praise.
One says OM in giving one’s permission to conduct the fire sacrifice. When a
Brahmin is about to recite the Veda publicly, he first says “OM,” and then, “May I
grasp the Veda (brahman)." And he does, indeed, grasp the Veda.

9 The right, yes; but also the private and public recitation of the Veda. The truth,
yes; but also the private and public recitation of the Veda. Austerity, yes; but
also the private and public recitation of the Veda. Self-control, yes; but also the
private and public recitation of the Veda. Tranquillity, yes; but also the private and
public recitation of the Veda. The fires, yes; but also the private and public
recitation of the Veda. The fire sacrifice, yes; but also the private and public
recitation of the Veda. Guests, yes; but also the private and public recitation of the
Veda. Humaneness, yes; but also the private and public recitation of the Veda.
Children, yes; but also the private and public recitation of the Veda. Procreation,
yes; but also the private and public recitation of the Veda. Progeny, yes; but also
the private and public recitation of the Veda.

“Just the truth” — that was the view of Rathltara, the Truthful.

“Just austerity” — that was the view of Paurusisti, the Ever-Austere.

“Nothing but the private and public recitation of the Veda” — that was the view
of Maudgalya the Painless; for that is austerity, that indeed is austerity.

I am the shaker of the tree!

My fame is like a mountain peak!
immaculate up on high,
immortal wealth of victory,

I am a treasure shining bright!
Undecaying, immortal, and wise!

This was the vedic recitation of Trisanku.

n After the completion of vedic study, the teacher admonishes his resident
pupil: “Speak the truth. Follow the Law. Do not neglect your private recita-
tion of the Veda. After you have given a valuable gift to the teacher, do not cut off
your family line.

“Do not neglect the truth. Do not neglect the Law. Do not neglect your health.
Do not neglect your wealth. Do not neglect your private and public recitation of the
Veda. 2 Do not neglect the rites to gods and ancestors.

297

1 . 11.2

The Early Upanisads

^rn^fr I w I ^ni444i w i w I

^rfrf&r I cTTf^r ^rf^crwrf^T I 4t f?R#r I g^.diPv I cnfF

c^rtwnft' 4 IUI! 4r '^cRTf^r I 4' %>- Frw^Frat wtffit: 2 I

I ssr^TT I 3P5T^zn^znT I j^FTf 4w 4 I fl^TT
^rpr I f^rr I 4f4ur 4W 5 I am- irf^- ^ ct4i4P4f4>cdi err 6 grr-

f^f^RFTT 3T FTTcT lull 4 cTF ^n^TT: RRI^H: I gw 3ngW: I ST^TT 1

enf^w/ w. I w ?r ww I <m 3 err ^rr: I ;w^r^TcU" I 4

ON O

rT5T IT^RU: ^Tf^FT: I gw 3ngW: I STe^TT entwri:" 5J: I F^TT cT cTF
FcRT I cFTT 3 elf F^rr: I igr 3TT45T: I ^ ^q^T: I I^TT 44Frf4w I
gcr^g?rnEFFf I iugFrf4cf^Tg 4 I igwtcigwr'T 5 I Ull

! I ffcT M,=bK^l|l.gqW: 1 1

3T FT f 4 t: 5T FFF: 5T 4t I

t T ffFrfcT: 3T Ft 1 1

=r4r srFFt 1 I fjtrt ft4T I
rfFt 5T?w «cVJii4 I FTriFr I

^xrwrf^rg I dd-Hidi^g I
d^TFTT^UT I d£rbRFl41d % I
rt#fpt I I

3S.

5TTf^T: STlf^T: QllPd: 1 1 ? 1 1
1 1 ffcT gd^ilSHdldr 1 1

j| %gWTFT: SFmr g# !!

3*

ff 4V fRW

298

Taittiriya Upanisad

2 . 1.1

•‘Treat your mother like a god. Treat your father like a god. Treat your teacher
like a god. Treat your guests like gods.

“You should perform only those rites that are irreproachable, and never other
types of rites. You should hold in high esteem only those good practices you have
observed in me, 3 and never other types of practices. You should greet with honor
any Brahmin who is superior to us by offering him a seat.

“You should give with faith, and never without faith. You should give with
dignity. You should give with modesty. You should give with trepidation. You
should give with comprehension.

“Now, if you ever have a doubt regarding a rite or a practice — 4 should there be
experienced, qualified, and gentle Brahmins devoted to the Law who are able to
make a judgment in that matter, you should observe how they act in that regard and
behave likewise. Similarly, with regard to practices subject to criticism — should
there be experienced, qualified, and gentle Brahmins devoted to the Law who are
able to make a judgment in that matter, you should observe how they act in these
matters and behave likewise.

“This is the rule of substitution. This is the teaching. This is the hidden teaching
{upanisad) of the Veda. This is the admonition. You should venerate in this way.
You should, indeed, venerate this in this way.

May Mitra be kind to us!

May Varuna, may Aryaman!

May Indra Brhaspati !

May Visnu of long strides!

Homage to brahman ! Homage to you, Wind!
You alone are the visible brahman\

I have proclaimed you,

And you alone as the visible brahman\

I have proclaimed you as the right!

I have proclaimed you as the true!

It has helped me.

It has helped the teacher.

Yes, it has helped me.

And it has helped the teacher.

OM

Peace! Peace! Peace!

2 BRAHMAVALLI

1

OM

May it help us both together!
May it foster us both together!

299

2 . 1.1

The Early Upanisads

W I

cfcrf^r ^rmTld'H^ rt fMtwt I

3^

STTf^T: 3TTfnT: 5Tlf^T: 1 1

^rf^lFffrf PTR I dtRT«TW I

rw 2 fnwRT sr^r *fr jtftR jfFrt 'rpT star I
R^gcT RR^RRTRRT ?TF sT^PTT f^rf^fcf 1 1

CTFTTSJ P/dTWWT STIRR^T: R-RTT: I ^ichfinST^': I RWtTftr: I

3T^RPT: I 3T^r: crf^cft I 'jf^qT sfm^RT: I I 3->'RJRT: I RT

RT IT^T 5^fTS?r^TT^r: I d^Mcr ^r:: | 3RT ^%nf: W- I SPT^tIT: W: I

srtrtcrt I ^ t#- yftw I 5> #^r RcrffT 1 1

1 1 ^fcT gsqrts^qw: 1 1

sf-rif 1 yw: srarraR^ mi ^nff f%rcrr: I
3?qt sr?t% Tfkf^T 3T^f^mrIcf: 1 1
m ft wnt cTwrpaqkwai^ I

R# t ^S5T s^RTRcf 1 1

<5

3T5T 2 ft WRt 3^ 1 1

^ C\ -3D

srsn^ci i Pi ^rid'cl : 5ricrRT>Fr rtRcT I

c\

3m^sfrT q" ^TcTrf^r d-HKd’ dfWf 1 1 ffcT 1 1
cRRTijJ 0,d ^T^?! <d TPfTdT I 3i'dl5TrR' STTrRT Ml u IHR: I ^ u f: I ?T RT

iTCf I ?tpt ^rrI^wtr^t gwf^rer: I ctrt yw prt f%r: I

syRTf q^T: I SPIRT ^RdT: W: I STIcPTRr STfcRT I ^Rl41

yfrPST I cPR^PT R^fcT II

1 1 ffcT ftcMrjm^: 1 1

ypt trr 3Hyi u iPd ‘ rtrtt: ttppt ^ |

* o o

300

Taittiriya Upanisad

2.3.1

Together let us both act boldly!

May our learning be full of vigor!

May we never dislike each other!

OM

Peace! Peace! Peace!

A man who knows brahman obtains the highest there is. On this we have the
following verse:

Truth and knowledge.

The infinite and brahman —

A man who knows them as
hidden in the deepest cavity,
hidden in the highest heaven;

Attains all his desires,

together with the wise brahman.

From this very self ( atman ) did space come into being; from space, air; from
air, fire; from fire, the waters; from the waters, the earth; from the earth, plants;
from plants, food; and from food, man. Now, a man here is formed from the essence
of food. This here is his head; this is his right side; this is his left side; this is his
torso (atman)-, and this is his bottom on which he rests. On this, too, we have the
following verse:

From food, surely, are they bom;

all creatures that live on earth.

On food alone, once born, they live;

and into food in the end they pass.

For food is the foremost of beings,
so it’s called “all herbs.”

All the food they’ll secure for themselves,
when they worship brahman as food;
For food is the foremost of beings,
so it’s called “all herbs.”

From food beings come into being;

By food, once bom, they grow.

“It is eaten and it eats beings.”

Therefore it is called “food.”

Different from and lying within this man formed from the essence of food is the
self (atman) consisting of lifebreath, which suffuses that man completely. Now, he
has the appearance of a man; so, corresponding to his manlike appearance, the self
consisting of lifebreath assumes a manlike appearance. Of this self, the head is sim-
ply the out-breath; the right side is the inter-breath; the left side is the in-breath; the
torso (atman) is space; and the bottom on which it rests is the earth. On this, too, we
have the following verse:

Lifebreath — gods breathe along with it
as do men and beasts.

301

2.3.1

The Early Upanisads

9WT ft" 1 1

?r ^ yjor ^tt'trt^' I

5TFfr % 1 1 ffcT I

cR% ^cf STTftT RTFTT I R qcfPT 1 1

cTWTgJ q^Fn^WTTcf I 3RTfcRT 3TRRT RTf^T: I cf^T y>f: I gr

iTq- q^rf^r i efFT jwl^WR^t' g^f^r: | ^r ftrc I

^i% 0 T: q^T: I R^fTcRT: ^T: I 3 TT^ 5 T 3 TTW I ST^^T: RR qfcTW I
cr^t R5R?r ^rafcT 1 1

1 1 ^r gcM^jcrr^: 1 1

^ffr crrat stwr wm I
3RTR sRFTT %r?r f^rfcT 3RTRT II ^fcf II

cR% q^T STTftT 3TTW I W. \ |

cOFTTR RRTTR^RTcT I SRIRtR 3 TTcRT f%RW. I cT% yif: | 5 ET

R trq- trg- | cTR g^rf^: I cTFT f^T: |

tEcT ^FT: q^f: I ?TRRfR:: W- I ^ RTcR I W- 3 ^ I eT^R

R5tRt ^H<=)fcr 1 1

1 1 ffcT 1 1

f^wr w cgcf Rqtf^r ?RctsPr r 1
f^fTR ^T: ^ sTR 1 1

fcR M cRRRR JFri^jfrT I

srfft qroRT R#RRRRWgcT 1 1 ^t 1 1

cT^r q^r qrrtk sitft r I *n r£rt 1 1

cTFTTST qd'WlR^H'H'Mld I sfRSmtR SflTRRRW: I cf^R I ^ R
TTtr q^nqf^g- TJc[ \ cTRT qRqf^TEj d I RRR HRl^ST: | RW I

302

Taittiriya Upanisad

2 . 5.1

For lifebreath is the life of beings,
so it’s called “all life.”

A full life they’ll surely live, when they
worship brahman as lifebreath.

For lifebreath is the life of beings,
so it’s called “all life.”

Of that, this here is the embodied self ( atman)-, this belongs to the former.

Different from and lying within this self consisting of breath is the self (atman)
consisting of mind, which suffuses this other self completely. Now, he has the ap-
pearance of a man; so, corresponding to his manlike appearance, the self consisting
of mind assumes a manlike appearance. Of this self, the head is simply the Yajus
formulas; the right side is the Rg verses; the left side is the Saman chants; the torso
(atman) is rules of substitution; and the bottom on which it rests is the Atharva-
Angirases. On this, too, we have the following verse:

Before they reach it, words turn back,
together with the mind;

One who knows that bliss of brahman,
he is never afraid.

Of that, this here is the embodied self (atman)-, this belongs to the former.

Different from and lying within this self consisting of mind is the self (atman)
consisting of perception, which suffuses this other self completely. Now, he has the
appearance of a man; so, corresponding to his manlike appearance, the self consist-
ing of perception assumes a manlike appearance. Of this self, the head is simply
faith; the right side is the truth; the left side is the real; the torso (atman) is the per-
formance; and the bottom on which it rests is the celebration. On this, too, we have
the following verse:

It’s perception that conducts the sacrifice.

It’s perception that performs the rites.

It’s perception that all the gods
Venerate as the foremost brahman.

“ Brahman is perception” —
he who knows this,
and neglects this not,

Leaving the evils behind in his body
He attains all his wishes.

Of that, this here is the embodied self (atman)-, this belongs to the former.

Different from and lying within this self consisting of perception is the self
(atman) consisting of bliss, which suffuses this other self completely. Now, he has
the appearance of a man; so, corresponding to his manlike appearance, the self con-
sisting of bliss assumes a manlike appearance. Of this self, the head is simply the
pleasure; the right side is the delight; the left side is the thrill; the torso (atman) is

303

2 . 5.1

The Early Upanisads

Tfnft R%R: R*T: | qRtR ReR: R*T: I 3 TFFR RRRT I RfT ^ qftw I
RR^R Ml=bl ^Wfcf 1 1

1 1 fft q-^Tfl'SH^Icb": 1 1

RRtR RRft 5^% tR t?r I
R^R W^rfcT ttR RRtR cTcfr f%: II ffcT II

eTR^T RR 5TrfR RRRT I R: qtRT 1 1
RRieftRqw: 1 I

>o

RRfftfTRj cStt teR R^R I

RTfT ftfTRR ott <fcR RfelcRd^dl^R 1 1

RTSRTRRR I Rf RR 5 T 3 TT^fcT I R RttcnRer I R eNRiWI 1 fR
R^jRa I Rftt f^T I cfc^T I d^l^lftSTR I RRjqftSR I R 5 R

eRcSRRRer I Pi Set) R iPlSeb R PfRRR RlPTeiRH R I f^dH qiftdin R I

Ret RPJR R I RRTRRRR I qftt PPr I I RR^R

V>|cpl RRfcT 1 1

1 1 ffeT WT 3 RW: 1 1

RRRT fRRR R.fftrkl! RT RRRTRR I
RReHM' RRnT^RrT RRqTRc^^cTg^TrT 1 1 f fcl 1 1
qf d'^<£c 1 R I t R: I RT #RR R^RHRp' RRfeT I oft ^RT~
^RTrofT: RPRIeT I R^R RTRR 5 T RIRRT R RTTR I TRT ^RTRRRFfrT I R 3 J
flohr U,d itRR^^SRTRtsftRfeftRq tSRR 2 qfcRRT ftReT I RR RTSRR Ret
RRpT I W iJtR q^#RfRfRRR c|RtSR dRR RR RRfeT I RetR RR
f%RT RRFRR 4 I RR^fR *Rtft RRfeT 1 1

1 1 ffeT RHRtSgRfR: 1 1

ttRTRTTRTef: RReT ttRT R^feT I
tkrFTTRfM^ir qRRR II ftr II

tRIRRRT ttRTRT RRfeT I RRT RRRTTgRRTCRTW: ’ I auftlMiV ffizf
sifeiSA: I eTRlR RRt pRTRT Wf RRR I R RTRR RTRR: I

304

Taittirlya Upanisad

2.8.1

the bliss; and the bottom on which it rests is the brahman. On this, too, we have the
following verse:

If a man thinks “ Brahman is the nonexistent,”
he becomes himself nonexistent!

If a man thinks “ Brahman is the existent,”
people then know him to be existent.

Of that, this here is the embodied self ( atman ); this belongs to the former.

Now, the following questions arise from the foregoing:

Does any man who knows this not
attain that world when he dies?

Or does any man who knows this
attain that world when he dies?

He had this desire: “Let me multiply myself. Let me produce offspring.” So he
heated himself up. When he had heated himself up, he emitted this whole world,
everything that is here. After emitting it, he entered that very world. And after en-
tering it, he became in turn Sat and Tyat, the distinct and the indistinct, the resting
and the never resting, the perceived and the nonperceived, the real ( satya ) and the
unreal ( anrta ). He became the real, everything that is here; that is why people call
all this Sat. On this, too, we have the following verse:

In the beginning this world was the nonexistent,
and from it arose the existent.

By itself it made a body {atman) for itself;
therefore it is called “well-made.”

And precisely because it is well-made, it is the essence, for only when one has
grasped that essence does one attain bliss. Now, who would breathe in, who would
breathe out, if that essence were not there in space as bliss, for it is that essence that
causes bliss. For when a man finds within that invisible, incorporeal ( anatmya ),
indistinct, and supportless essence, the fearless state on which to rest, then he be-
comes free from fear. When, on the other hand, a man creates a hollow or a fissure
within it, then he experiences fear. Now, this is the fear experienced by a man who
thinks that he knows. On this, too, we have the following verse:

The fear of it makes the wind blow.

The fear of it makes the sun rise.

The fear of it makes them run —
fire and moon,
and death, the fifth.

Next follows an analysis of bliss.

Take a young man — a good young man who is learned, very quick, solidly
built, and extremely strong. And assume that he owns this whole earth filled with
wealth. That would constitutes a single measure of human bliss.

305

2 . 8.1

The Early Upanisads

ct $Tct 3TFF^T: I e - I s$ftf=RFT

"^IWPTfcTW I

cT ^ 5RT qg^ J l^d'i u ll J HI- ; F^r: I ?T qg^T I

WW I

ct ^t 5Tcf I H ^T: I <FT q,cb: f>}g u l I pq Id H^: !

s i^M TrraJTTTfcTFr I cf $■ 5TcT f^lt f^c^cb^cblHmiH^: 3 I F q=p
3TMFT3rnt ^'HPTFR': I -dldddqdHI I

ct % 5TrRMFf5TRT ^TRWFF^T: I m F^p: cb^dMI ^H'lHH^: I
sbTlDlilW xfT^mfcTFT I

ct 5TcT ^jf^cTHr ^RIHH^I: I F gf?T ^TTFTR^: I 5 5frf^TFl'
xiic^id^d'W I

cT 5Tct ^HRH^I: I m ^ ^FTR^T: I I

ct ^ 51?rf^F9[FTH^T: I m qg§t f^FT^TH^: I ^cblHgdW I

ct ^ 5RT ffFTcftHF^r: I F q^r: aW^FTFT^: I *Tlf^TFT m^PT-
IcTFT I

ct ^ Stef qWTctTH^T: I F IT^mf I ^'Pddd-

fcTW I

wnt 3 ?^ wrawRc^ i f qg^: I f zr q^n I ^TFTTgtw^r I
^d^Wc^R^^mfcl | TTcT qT^HWcdHdHdstddfct I ^ct ^tRT-
dlcHHgWsf^FTfcT I ITcT f^ITO Pi'cH H 3 H d PTfcT I O.ddl'-Kd WcRTT-
^Hd^ldFcl I cf^^T iTpirT 1 1

1 1 ffcT 3TWrt5^1^: I i

ildl 3Tqt Pldd*rl HnN 'HH<rll Flf I
3TFRp fT f^TW f^fcT cgcTSPT 1 1 ffcT 1 1
3# f cficr =r rfqfcr I f^rf mg' wm I qTWPFrPrfcr I sr
*r qg P^.Hd ’ 3MF I ftr q^t 1 arrFrqt djgft I *r xrt ^ I
^c^nPiqd 2 II

1 1 ^fcT Hct4lSHcl|cp: 1 1

II ^fcT H

306

Taittirlya Upanisacl

2.9.1

A single measure of bliss that human Gandharvas enjoy — and also a man
versed in the Vedas and free from desires — is a hundred times greater than human
bliss.

A single measure of bliss that divine Gandharvas enjoy — and also a man versed
in the Vedas and free from desires — is a hundred times greater than the bliss of hu-
man Gandharvas.

A single measure of bliss that the forefathers who live in their world for a long
time enjoy — and also a man versed in the Vedas and free from desires— is a hun-
dred times greater than the bliss of divine Gandharvas.

A single measure of bliss that those who are gods by birth enjoy — and also a
man versed in the Vedas and free from desires — is a hundred times greater than the
bliss of the forefathers who live in their world for a long time.

A single measure of bliss that those who have become gods by performing rites
enjoy — and also a man versed in the Vedas and free from desires — is a hundred
times greater than the bliss of those who are gods by birth.

A single measure of bliss that the gods enjoy— and also a man versed in the
Vedas and free from desires — is a hundred times greater than the bliss of those who
have become gods by performing rites.

A single measure of bliss that Indra enjoys — and also a man versed in the Ve-
das and free from desires — is a hundred times greater than the bliss of the gods.

A single measure of bliss that Brhaspati enjoys — and also a man versed in the
Vedas and free from desires — is a hundred times greater than the bliss of Indra.

A single measure of bliss that Prajapati enjoys — and also a man versed in the
Vedas and free from desires — is a hundred times greater than the bliss of Brhaspati.

A single measure of bliss that brahman enjoys — and also a man versed in the
Vedas and free from desires— is a hundred times greater than the bliss of Prajapati.

He who is here in a man and he who is there in the sun — they are one and the
same. After a man who knows this departs from this world — he first reaches the self
( atman ) that consists of food, then the self that consists of lifebreath, then the
self that consists of mind, then the self that consists of perception, and finally
the self that consists of bliss. On this, too, we have the following verse:

Before they reach it, words turn back,
together with the mind;

One who knows that bliss of brahman ,
he is never afraid.

He does not agonize, thinking: “Why didn’t I do the right thing? Why did I do the
wrong thing?” A man who knows this frees himself {atman) from these two
thoughts. From these two thoughts, indeed, a man who knows this frees himself.
That is the hidden teaching {upanisad).

307

3 . 1.1

The Early Upanisads

vt*

W I W FT I

hit ' < ttt dFdid^ l
itdltF -Twrrww ft !

3^

?TT%: 5nf^T: Flfcr : 1 1

Jjgf cMSfrl': I FW ftrRgTH'HIT I 3TePrf%" TOt F^tfcT I dW
a^wnwr i 3T5T aw wg: Ftt wfr wrMcr 2 i cf ^twtw I wr ft wRrf^r
^f#t Frwr | w didiPr ^fkf^r I | d%i>rFw I

cT^ F^fcT I F cTatScWTF I F clTCM 1 1

1 1 ffcT adHIV] dlF: 1 1

m sf^fcT WFFW I FW^F gcTTf^T FTFFT I 3T?Fr FTFltt

4t#T I 3T5T aFFFfMf^TFftfcT I d fed IF I FH^F W ?'-d<*J'-k-dK I
F’sftft' Wt s^fct I rf ftFPF I cRFT FfF fcftlWWF I rPTT sT^ticT I F
FatSdWF I F cTWlWr 1 1

1 1 ^fcT flcD^S^W: 1 1

aw ^icr wfhtct ! pia^? ■gcrrPt ff wr I awtF

d id |P~ 41c(Pd I aW WFFftTFttFFfHcT I d%?lTF i ^wtf W ftcRT-
gaww I areftft- wr Fitter I f #w I error f^t f¥^ww I wit

sT^fcT I F WTFdWF I F WTFFFT 1 1

1 1 ^fcT ^M3HdW: 1 1

Fdt F^^fcT bildH'Icf I WFT itF idlecidlP FcTT^T FFRt I WTFT
didiPi #aftr I w: awwitwf^wxftfrr I d fed if I gpttF fw fecR-
FWFR" I sreffft WTFT F#cT I F ftFTF I «I sf^T feMsTiFFT I cftr
sf^fcf I F rTatSWTd" I F FTFfW 1 1

1 1 ^fcT F^FTS WW: 1 1

%R F^tfcT cFFFTFT I fedMI^F ^ fed d I Pi FFTpf FFRt I fedT^F

d id l in sfl d Pd I fed H aFFFf^Wi^Wrftfcr I FfeFTF I ^d <d FF°t

308

Taittiriya Upanisad

3.5.1

3 BHRGUVALLl

I OM

May it help us both together!

May it foster us both together!

Together let us both act boldly !

May our learning be full of vigor!

May we never dislike each other!

OM

Peace! Peace! Peace!

Bhrgu, the son of Varuna, once went up to his father, Varuna, and said: “Sir,
teach me brahman.” And Varuna told him this: “Food, lifebreath, sight, hearing,
mind, speech.” He further said: “That from which these beings are born; on which,
once born, they live; and into which they pass upon death — seek to perceive that!
That is brahman] ”

So Bhrgu practiced austerities. After he had practiced austerities, [2] he per-
ceived: “ Brahman is food — for, clearly, it is from food that these beings are born;
on food, once born, do they live; and into food do they pass upon death.”

After he had perceived this, he went up to his father, Varuna, once again and
said: “Sir, teach me brahman.” V amna told him: “Seek to perceive brahman by
means of austerity. Brahman is austerity.”

So Bhrgu practiced austerities. After he had practiced austerities, [3] he per-
ceived: “ Brahman is the lifebreath — for, clearly, it is from the lifebreath that these
beings are born; through the lifebreath, once born, do they live; and into the life-
breath do they pass upon death.”

After he had perceived this, he went up to his father, Varuna, once again and
said: “Sir, teach me brahman.” V aruna told him: “Seek to perceive brahman by
means of austerity. Brahman is austerity.”

So Bhrgu practiced austerities. After he had practiced austerities, [4] he per-
ceived: “ Brahman is the mind — for, clearly, it is from the mind that these beings are
born; through the mind, once born, do they live; and into the mind do they pass
upon death.”

After he had perceived this, he went up to his father, Varuna, once again and
said: “Sir, teach me brahman.” V aruna told him: “Seek to perceive brahman by
means of austerity. Brahman is austerity.”

So Bhrgu practiced austerities. After he had practiced austerities, [5] he per-
ceived: “ Brahman is perception — for, clearly, it is from perception that these beings
are born; through perception, once born, do they live; and into perception do they
pass upon death.”

After he had perceived this, he went up to his father, Varuna, once again and
said: “Sir, teach me brahman.” V aruna told him: “Seek to perceive brahman by
means of austerity. Brahman is austerity.”

309

3 . 5.1

The Early Upanisads

RcK^I’Hdid I 3T^ft% dddl sl^vlfcT ! d tfe Id I cIMd did [4Rl^1 Idd I
rPTT d^fcT I d dfeddd I d cHWWTT 1 1

1 1 ffcT 1 1

dTdfe sl^-l [cl cdd Hid I 3| legal c| <cj fe-cj Tf | Rf » ^ |R ^dd^R" I

N C\

3| M*fe 'd Id iP) 'jfldPd I 3iM< Jldd^ffelffe'cTlfcl | H fcj r 11 1441 <=l l <? u Tl
fferr I qfer sftwfMW' i d d ^ 4d srfciicnssf^r I dddiddfe ddfcr I
d^l^Hdfd Rddl t T^[f445ld'44d I •H^lfefe'i 1 1

1 1 ^fcT WTdJdnd: 1 1

3t4t d fearer I d^ ddd I gwr dr ddd I dRdRdTdd I fet" dfR
nfclfedd I dfet JIT 11 !': yfclfeci: I cl^ddddd y[clfedd I d d ^cK^fe
fe?fed fe ferfcdfer I d'ddHtHIcil ddfe I dddddfcT Rdd? dglRfe?-
dfed I dflfetcdf II

1 1 ^fcT dfetS^dW: 1 1

3rd d qfefedr I dd ddd I smr dr ddd I ferffedTdd I srcj
fefcT: dfefedd I 5#kTT: sfcTfedT: I d^dddfe sfcffecP? I d d
trdddd?r sfefed 4d sricrfcpssfe I dddiddfe ddfe i dfiddfcr dddr
q^rRr^idfeRr I dr^tfeji' 1 1

1 1 ffcT dtdfejdld: 1 1

dd dg" cg^ffe I d^ ddd I ’jfefr EfT ddd I dPTdfedd: I #T~
dldlddd yfclfecT: I 3ii*K-l gfe4t Slfclfedl I d%dddd?r sfefedd I d
d l/dqj^d M [cl fed 4d feTfedfe I dddlddfe ddfe I dfPddfe dddT

I dgrfefeit 1 1

1 1 ffcT ddfejdFd: 1 1

d ddd ddcfl -1 SMN^fld I d^ ddd I dddddT ddT d fefdT d|jd
RlgdTcT I ddWdT ddffedrd^dt I ddrcfed dSd I g^cfedd dd
dWT I ddf dWcfTSd d^d I dUldlMd I' dd dWf I T3^TgJ ddTdTSd
d I^d I ddTdTSdd dd dWT 1 1 ? 1 1 d fe 4d I fe? ffcT dlfe I felfed
•jfcT HWTdlddt': I feffcT $dl41: I J lfclR[cT dlddT: I [feRbRlct Ml 41" I ffcT
dFdft: ddld?: I dd %R: I gRfRfe ffe I ddfecT fegfe I Rl I "dd ?Rr

310

Taittirlya Upanisacl

3 . 10.3

So Bhrgu practiced austerities. After he had practiced austerities, [6] he per-
ceived: “Brahman is bliss — for, clearly, it is from bliss that these beings are born;
through bliss, once bom, do they live; and into bliss do they pass upon death.”

This is the doctrine of Bhrgu, the son of Varuna. It is firmly established in the
highest firmament. When someone comes to know this — he will become firmly
established; he will become a man who has food, who eats food; he will become a
big man on account of his offspring, livestock, and the luster of sacred knowledge;
he will become a big man on account of his fame.

7 One should not belittle food — that is the rule. The lifebreath is food, and the
body is the food-eater. The body is based on the lifebreath, and the lifebreath,
on the body. Thus, this food is based on food. When someone knows this food that
is based on food — he will become firmly established; he will become a man who
has food, who eats food; he will become a big man on account of his offspring, live-
stock, and the luster of sacred knowledge; he will become a big man on account of
his fame.

8 One should not reject food — that is the rule. Water is food, and fire is the food-
eater. Fire is based on water, and water, on fire. Thus, this food is based on
food. When someone knows this food that is based on food — he will become firmly
established; he will become a man who has food, who eats food; he will become a
big man on account of his offspring, livestock, and the luster of sacred knowledge;
he will become a big man on account of his fame.

9 One should prepare a lot of food — that is the rule. The earth is food, and space
is the food-eater. Space is based on the earth, and the earth, on space. Thus, this
food is based on food. When someone knows this food that is based on food — he
will become firmly established; he will become a man who has food, who eats food;
he will become a big man on account of his offspring, livestock, and the luster of
sacred knowledge; he will become a big man on account of his fame.

"1 O ® ne s h° u ^ never turn anyone away from one’s home — that is the rule.
X U Therefore, he should procure a lot of food by every means at his disposal.
And people will say of him: “Food is readily available to him.” When he makes the
food ready during the first portion, food becomes readily available to him during the
first portion. When he makes the food ready during the middle portion, food be-
comes readily available to him during the middle portion. When he makes the food
ready during the final portion, food becomes readily available to him during the
final portion. 2 And so it is for anyone who knows this.

In speech, as rest; in the out-breath and the in-breath, as activity and rest; in the
hands, as action; in the feet, as movement; in the anus, as evacuation — these are its
human appellations. Now, its divine appellations — in the rain, 3 as contentment; in

311

I

ms wnf wnf i im i

spMPWW I

rfrrf^r M IrTT^ I
f ^^ffs^ciFr Tr^vnf^r I
TU ^rfrT *r ^r m$r. I

3TfWT?RWiTT^% I
Tf f^ST WT^TRW^iT |
gc[^r vt-mIcTI': I

Ml

ll ^r n

Taittiriya Upanisad

3.10.6

lightning, as power; in livestock, as fame; in the stars, as light; in the sexual organ,
as procreation, immortality, and bliss; in space, as totality.

Let him venerate it as the foundation, and he will have a foundation. Let him
venerate it as might, and he will become mighty. Let him venerate it as mind, and
he will have a quick mind. I * * 4 Let him venerate it as bowing in homage, and his de-
sires will bow to his will. Let him venerate it as brahman, and he will possess brah-
man. Let him venerate it as “dying around of brahman,” and his rivals filled with
hate will die around him, and so will his detestable foes.

He who is here in a man and he who is up there in the sun — they are one
and the same. 5 After a man who knows this departs from this world — he first
reaches the self ( atman ) that consists of food, then the self that consists of life-
breath, then the self that consists of mind, then the self that consists of perception,
and finally the self that consists of bliss; and, eating whatever he likes and assuming
whatever appearance he likes, he continues to travel across these worlds and to sing
this Saman chant:

Ha u] Ha u! Ha u!

6 1 am food! I am food! I am food!

I eat food! I eat food! I eat food!

I set the rhythm! I set the rhythm! I set the rhythm!

I am the firstborn of truth,
born before the gods,
in the navel of the immortal.

The one who gives me
will indeed eat me.

I am food!

I eat him who eats the food!

I have conquered the whole universe!

I am like the light in the firmament!

[And so will] anyone who knows this. That is the hidden teaching {upanisad).
The end of the Taittiriya Upanisad.

313

FOUR

Aitareya Upanisad

The Aitareya Upanisad consists of chapters 4-6 of the second book of the Aitareya
Aranyaka, which has altogether five books. The Aranyaka itself is part of the Ai-
tareya Brahmana belonging to the Aitareya school of the Rgveda. The distinction
between the Upanisad proper and the rest of the Aranyaka is somewhat artificial,
there being little difference in the topics covered. Indeed, the third book explicitly
calls itself Samhita Upanisad, and the second book contains speculations on the
Rgvedic recitation, Uktha, a subject treated in several Upanisads. The native tradi-
tion itself considers the Aranyaka to contain three Upanisads: the first consists of
chapters 1-3 of book 2; the second is our Upanisad; and the third consists of book 3.
On the issue of the Upanisads contained in the AA, see Keith (1909, 39-52).

As Schneider (1963-64) has shown, the three chapters of AU deal with dispa-
rate subjects: the first presents a cosmogony with the self ( atman ) as the creator; the
second deals with the three births of the self; and the third inquires into its true na-
ture. From a text-historical point of view, according to Schneider, the first chapter
constitutes the kernel of the Upanisad.

CONTENTS

l

Creation of the world by the self

1 Creation of bodily parts

2 Bodily parts afflicted with hunger and thirst

3.1-10 Creation of food

3.11-12 Self enters the body

3.13 Brahman as Indra

314

Aitareya Upanisad

2

The three births of the self
3

Inquiry concerning the true self

315

3iw dr gdnr w^dwfcdw Upw | p- i^- 1 | -^ 4 , 1 ^ gw
ffcT IUII

d" WgtdWgWT I 3THTT TrfhMwW: 1 I wtsw: d^W fcd dt: srfcT-
wM dfrwr: gMt wr dr 3 twww wt: I U 1 1

ST f^# 1 J 2 dTfdd dtdWWf gw ^fcT I dTS^d ^ gw dgWdT-
y-^-Md" IUII

C\ N

ddWddddllfVdWd f*d f^TWT ddTW gW^TdTsffr: I HliW
Urfir^cit drf%drw wr: wrrgig: I wf^rofr ftrf^w^fhw digwgd
wf^w. I opjff fctfMrrat wfwf ^wf^r: I dw wfr

dtdflU' dTdW 3Ttd%dTWd: I fWT UTRWcf 3 fWRRt WRTWWTT: I

drf^kftrw =nw wrT^sqrrrgrdd: I f^rer Ur^rw ftrantcfr tdd

did: IUII

1 1 ?fcT ddd: ?d°d: 1 1

w pgr tdw. gw md^y^fd'rftyTdTwn^w^ 1 I

dT TgTddddTddd d: dddflfif df^ddlfcrffedT 3WddrfcT I U 1 1

cTTWr dTdHddT Wdd t qtsddcSftlrr I dl^WTRdW Wtdd t

o >o

dt3WTc#rfrr IUII

diw: gwdRddT idgdgcjw drtfcr 1 gwt did ggw I dT wnfrw
dlddd yU^lclfri IUII

srfMggdr grr drfcrwig: dFfr gw hiU^ n 1
f^r°ft Rif^rft^r: dtd gw wit drf^TdtdftiwTwwr cWn^T gw

316

ADHYAYA 1

I ln the beginning this world was the self ( atman ), one alone, and there was no
other being at all that blinked an eye. He thought to himself: “Let me create the
worlds.”

2 So he created these worlds — the flood, the glittering specks, the mortal, and
the waters. Now, the flood is up there beyond the sky, and its foundation is the sky.
The glittering specks are the intermediate world. The mortal is the earth, and what is
underneath are the waters.

3 He further thought to himself: “Now that these worlds are in place, I had bet-
ter create their keepers.” From those very waters he drew out and gave a definite
shape to a man. 4 He incubated that man. From that man so incubated —

— a mouth was hatched like an egg; from the mouth sprang speech, and from
speech, fire.

— a pair of nostrils was hatched; from the nostrils sprang out-breath, and from
out-breath, the wind.

— a pair of eyes was hatched; from the eyes sprang sight, and from sight, the

sun.

— a pair of ears was hatched; from the ears sprang hearing, and from hearing,
the quarters.

— a skin was hatched; from the skin sprang the body hairs, and from the body
hairs, plants and trees.

— a heart was hatched; from the heart sprang the mind, and from the mind, the
moon.

— a navel was hatched; from the navel sprang the in-breath, and from the in-
breath, death.

— a penis was hatched; from the penis sprang semen, and from semen, the wa-
ters.

2 Once these deities were created, they fell into this vast ocean here. It afflicted
him with hunger and thirst. Those deities then said to him: “Find us a dwelling
in which we can establish ourselves and eat food.” 2 So he brought a cow up to
them, but they said: “That’s totally inadequate for us.” Then he brought a horse up
to them, but they said: “That’s totally inadequate for us.” 3 Finally he brought a man
up to them, and they exclaimed: “Now, this is well made!” for man is indeed well
made.

Then he told them: “Enter, each into your respective dwelling.” 4 So, the fire
became speech and entered the mouth; the wind became out-breath and entered the

317

1 . 2.4

The Early Upanisads

wr =rrf^r

tcfr 11*11

cmsiHiftm^ 3ra^mi3T^wf^^i4]^lV ^ 3Tsr^^?n^ ^t ^?n-
f^Twn^nrj ^iRi-41 ^Mfcr I ctfttww tt
^iRi-iii^cj|^L|iH$Hi[t|Hi# vmrr: iihII

1 1 ^fcT f|?fUr: WE: 1 1

Aitareya Upanisad

1.3.12

nostrils; the sun became sight and entered the eyes; the quarters became hearing and
entered the ears; the plants and trees became body hairs and entered the skin; the
moon became mind and entered the heart; death became the in-breath and entered
the navel; the waters became semen and entered the penis.

5 Thereupon, hunger and thirst told him: “Find one for us also.” He told them:
“I give you a share in what belongs to these very deities, and I make you sharers
with them.” As a consequence, to whatever deity one may make an offering, hunger
and thirst share it with that deity.

3 He then thought to himself: “Now that these worlds and their keepers are in
place, I had better create food for them.” 2 So he incubated the waters. When
the waters were incubated, there emerged from them something solid. And the solid
thing that emerged was food.

3 No sooner was it created than it sought to escape. He tried to capture it with
speech. But he was unable to capture it with speech, for had he captured it with
speech, one would satisfy one’s appetite by simply mentioning food.

4 He tried to capture it with the out-breath. But he was unable to capture it with
the out-breath, for had he captured it with the out-breath, one would satisfy one’s
appetite by simply breathing upon food.

5 He tried to capture it with sight. But he was unable to capture it with sight, for
had he captured it with sight, one would satisfy one’s appetite by simply looking at
food.

6 He tried to capture it with hearing. But he was unable to capture it with hear-
ing, for had he captured it with hearing, one would satisfy one’s appetite by simply
hearing about food.

7 He tried to capture it with the skin. But he was unable to capture it with the
skin, for had he captured it with the skin, one would satisfy one’s appetite by simply
touching food.

8 He tried to capture it with the mind. But he was unable to capture it with the
mind, for had he captured it with the mind, one would satisfy one’s appetite by sim-
ply thinking about food.

9 He tried to capture it with the penis. But he was unable to capture it with the
penis, for had he captured it with the penis, one would satisfy one’s appetite by
simply ejaculating food.

10 Finally, he tried to capture it with the in-breath, and then he managed to con-
sume it. So, the wind is the one that captures food, for the wind (vayu) is the food-
finder ( annayu ).

1 1 Then he thought to himself: “How can this possibly carry on without me?”
And he thought: “Through which of these shall I enter?” He thought: “If speaking is
done through speech; if breathing out is done through the out-breath; if seeing is
done through sight; if hearing is done through hearing; if touching is done through
the skin; if thinking is done through the mind; if breathing in is done through the in-
breath; and if ejaculating is done through the penis — then who am I?”

12 So he split open the head at the point where the hairs part and entered
through that gate. This gate ( dvar ) has the name “Split” ( vidrti ), and that is the

319

1.3.12.

The Early JJpanisads

ft sricfr mcrf^tif^fci 2 i gr germ gw 5W

3 ll^n

dwrf^r H I f t TPT cfftwl FT^F? 1 WTV$R I

qfM^rr 1 yr fir mr: Td^rr yr ^ ^m I inn

1 1 ^frT T^T: W^:: 1 1

I! ^r WTTs^FT: II

Vf% f cfT 3TWf^cfr Jpff wfcT ^cl|'cf: ; ' I d^Tc^t^sfw^T: 3

^ddlrd^cllrdl'i' 4 I (W ftw f^lo-^c^^H^Hillci 5 I cT^T W

«P1 1 1 ? 1 1

dim ill WeRTW WtSfcT ^FTT F=my W I dW^dt T f%^rf^cT I
W^WJTPTW JRf vn^TfcT I R 1 1 FIT rflt *TT^TcTW wfcT I cT F^t
*pf I FTTSTT gsr WW Wtpfrst's1%r 1 ^WqfFT I FT dccdJTTt

WWlFRFTtcr cr^TWc^T cjrwrr FTdW ^ FTcTdT
F5lW: I WW Rcfld 3FT I R 1 1

FTtSFil FiTHTrRT wf«T: I 3TqTWFTf^T?R 3TTWT

<£d<£c4l WtW: trfcT I FT fcT 5W>RF tpnsfarT I WF?T ^=FT I |V| |
dgr^gf^TT I

jpf 3” FT5FT WR^Wf 2 ^Tdt d^'JTlf^T fclW I
5T?r m gr 3 tft#fww $rt wftt Pr^tr; II 1 1

'Li^d-^irFfr dlR^d y,u5idl^ IIMI FT m
^3cWiT[gf^R^t c5l% -HcjWlRHIWrgd': FTWdWIWcF I R 1 1

II ^fcT II

ct^liqqir^fd ddgMIFH^" <=bdF: FT 3iieH! I fR" ^T MdofcT if-T dT
^ j frf c r ?R srr JRiHi^y^r 6 m m ^nmrfcf ft Fdif diMij r
Mild 1 1 ? 1 1

320

Aitareya Upanisad

3.1

heaven of pleasure ( nananda ). He has three dwellings, three levels of sleep — this is
one dwelling, this is another, and this is the third.

1 3 After he was born, he contemplated the creatures with the thought: “Will
anyone declare there to be another here?” But he saw only that man, the brahman ,
the utmost, and he said, “This ( idam ) I have seen ( adarsam )\ ” ^Therefore, he is
called “Idandra.” Now, his name is Idandra; but even though he is Idandra, people
cryptically call him Indra, because the gods somehow love the cryptic.

ADHYAYA 2

At the outset, this embryo comes into being within a man as semen. This radiance
gathered from all the bodily parts he bears in himself ( atman ) as himself ( atman ).
And when a man deposits it in a woman, he gives birth to it. That is his first birth.

2 It becomes one with the woman’s body (atman), as if it were a part of her own
body. As a result, it does not harm her. And she nourishes this self (atman) of his
that has entered her. 3 As she nourishes him, so he should nourish her. The woman
carries him as the embryo. At the beginning, he nourishes the child even before its
birth. When he nourishes the child even before its birth, he thereby nourishes him-
self (atman) for the continuance of these worlds, for it is in this way that these
worlds continue. That is his second birth.

4 And he — this self (atman) of his — is appointed to carry out holy rites, while
his other self, after it has done all it has to do, becomes old and dies. As soon as he
departs from this world, he is bom again. That is his third birth.

5 This very point has been made by a seer:

I knew all the births of these gods,

While I was still within the womb.

A hundred iron forts encaged me,

Then the falcon — swiftly I flew away.

Vamadeva spoke this way while he was still lying here within the womb. 6 Knowing
this, he went up after the dissolution of this body and, having obtained all his de-
sires in the heavenly world up there, became immortal.

ADHYAYA 3

“Who is this self (atman )!" — that is how we venerate.

Which of these is the self? Is it that by which one sees? Or hears? Or smells
odors? Or utters speech? Or distinguishes between what is tasty and what is not?

321

3.2

The Early Upanisads

TFTtcRW FFT TfTR f^W ^fTR" Am' 4^441^)1 2

^fcT: FjfcT: 3 efc^T: ^FTT ^ ffrT 1 ?T#^t?TTf^r WPT ^R^TT^T

wf^r IRII

sr#r tgr awFrfrr^ ?rf ^t ^mf^r t wt^cttF^ gfMr
^rgwra - 3nxfr xr 4^n44?R#r %cR#r 2

xn^ni^r 3 xr ; sn^ni^r 4 tt st^rr^r >7if& A jtw: jw ^RvhI
mfw vrPjpT XT 'Tcrf^T XT ?T^r WTc^t *T# cTcWFH' 5 R^FT Rfrrfecf
sisTFNt 6 c4t^: wr qfcrw wt' II3II

-\. 1 __JV - .... >, Cn 1C. ^ X o

Aitareya Upanisad

3.4

2 Isit the heart and the mind? Is it awareness? Perception? Discernment? Cog-
nition? Wisdom? Insight? Steadfastness? Thought? Reflection? Drive? Memory?
Intention? Purpose? Will? Love? Desire? But these are various designations of cog-
nition.

3 It is brahman ; it is Indra; it is Prajapati; it is all the gods. It is these five im-
mense beings — earth, wind, space, the waters, and the lights; it is these beings, as
well as those that are some sort of mixture of trivial beings, living beings of various
sorts — those born from eggs, from wombs, from sweat, and from sprouts. It is
horses, cattle, men, and elephants. It is everything that has life — those that move,
those that fly, and those that are stationary.

Knowledge is the eye of all that, and on knowledge it is founded. Knowledge is
the eye of the world, and knowledge, the foundation. Brahman is knowing.

4 It is with this self consisting of knowledge that he went up from this world
and, having obtained all his desire in the heavenly world up there, became immor-
tal.

The end of the Aitareya Upanisad.

323

FIVE

Kausitaki Upanisad

The Kausitaki Upanisad consists of books 3-6 of the Kausitaki (also called Sankha-
yana) Aranyaka, which itself is part of the Kausitaki Brahmana of the Rgveda. Both
the Brahmana and the Aranyaka of the Sankhayana school are texts that in many
ways correspond to the parallel texts of its sister school, the Aitareya, although the
latter texts are somewhat earlier than those of the Sankhayana (for a comparison of
the documents of these two schools of the Rgveda, see Keith 1909, 26-39). As evi-
dent from the numerous variant readings, the transmission of the KsU has been
much less faithful than that of any other ancient Upanisad; Frenz’s (1968-69) edi-
tion and translation have shown that the sequence of passages in the vulgate edition,
especially in the first Adhyaya, is probably incorrect. 1 have followed Frenz’s se-
quence of the first Adhyaya, but his rearrangement in the second Adhyaya is not as
compelling. For reasons spelled out in the Note on the Edition, I have not adopted
his reconstituted text, which deletes several passages, places within parentheses du-
bious passages, and makes several additions.

C ONTENTS

1

Uddalaka on the two paths of the dead
Citra questions Svetaketu
The path of those who return here after death

The path to brahman : description of what one encounters on the path

2

Citra instructs
1

2

3-7

1-2 Brahman is breath

3 Rite to capture something of value

4 Rite to secure someone’s love

5 Fire sacrifice offered internally in speech and breath

324

Kausitaki Upanisad

6 Brahman is the Rgvedic recitation (Uktha)

7 Three ways of worshiping the sun

8 Rites to secure the welfare of one’s children

9 Rite to secure one’s welfare

10 Rite during sexual intercourse

1 1 Greeting the son upon return from a journey
12-13 Explanation of “the dying around of the deities”

14 Gaining preeminence by knowing the superiority of breath over other

vital functions

15 Rite of transfer to the son when a father is about to die

Indra’s instruction to Pratardana

1 On understanding Indra

2 Indra as breath, the self consisting of intelligence
3-4 The superiority of breath over other vital functions

Breath as intelligence
What happens at death?

5-7 Superiority of intelligence over other faculties

8 Intelligence as the self beyond all diversity

Dialogue between Ajatasatru and Balaki on brahman

2-18 Ajatasatru rejects different identifications of brahman

19 Instruction of Balaki by Ajatasatru: explanation of sleep

20 Breath as the self consisting of intelligence

CONCORDANCE

The following chart gives a concordance between the text established by Frenz
(1968-69) and the text as it appears in manuscripts and in most editions and transla-
tions. The sign + after a number indicates that passages from that section have been
rearranged by Frenz.

Frenz

Mss

Frenz

Mss

1.1

1.1

2.8b

2.10

1.2

1.2

2.8c

2.8+

1.3

1.3+

2.9

2.9

1.4a

1.4+

2.10

2.11

1.4b

1.3+, 1.4+

2.11

2.12

1.5

1.5

2.12

2.13

1.6

1.6

2.13

2.14

1.7

1.7

2.14

2.15

2.1-7

2.1-7

3.1-8

3.1-8

2.8a

2.8+

4.1-20

4.1-20

325

ftrtt f t qrfsrro^nforR r u i 1 I tt f qrt %crttj Rf^rw 2

pilfer I

rr ^rM 3 qrnsgr jftcTwr 4 j^Tfer 5 qffH'^r sn^repw^T 6

snw <tpt siM#r I *r qn^?rt^ I fqqrqpf ^STtlft' 8 l
tt f ftcfrqwrer qq^effier* writer I ^ qftsrqitlltr I ?r
ftqiwr^ ^ I crqr Ffiw^m^r irr^rt' 10 ^r>n qt E^dtr 11 I

ir^t qfrTranT ^feT I

<5

f i“ Trf^cqiftf^ JTTfgrqf^ 12 afcrsrajTr wqrttfcr ! <r ftrr-Er
sr^rnffsitr 13 jfrcnr 14 q- xn-f^qi^n: 1 " I ^ ptt ^qjtiwjftfcr 16 1 1 ? 1 1

IT fr^TET I t t & Wll'glcblcSWf^f cf H# *!^fni I fm

sn^h giw arreqrot I qH^^r 1 qsnTrf^r i w4w ctrq^r git
I it q-: 3 q?qTF HRfcH^cT I W *T qf ^ erf^ ffe-
^jw 5pffcT I FT 3T qT TTTFqt PT IFgftq? 31 oRJfT 3T

qTT3RTT 5TTfo5t 3T 3Ptt 3T lIIFtj SlrJlWWt W3^

wf^PT 7 I

cPTPTcT ^EtjfcT qtS'Hlid I IT Fftcf^TTlT I

9 or\ o'-c ♦ 10

cRTT <#

vO

qirr sfjpt TTTcfft qrltrftw 11 I !

o

326

ADHYAYA 1

I Once, when Citra Gangyayani was preparing to perform a sacrifice, he chose
Aruni as the officiating priest. But Aruni sent his son, Svetaketu, instead,
telling him: “Go and officiate at his sacrifice.”

After Svetaketu had taken his seat, Citra questioned him: “Son of Gautama, is
there a closed door in the world in which you will place me, or does it have another
road? I fear that you will place me in a false world.” Svetaketu replied: “I don’t
know it, but I’ll ask my teacher.”

So he went back to his father and asked him: “Here are the questions he asked
me. How should I answer him?” The father told him: “Even I do not know the an-
swer to them. Within the very sacrificial arena let us, after we have performed our
vedic recitation, receive what outsiders may give us. Come, let us both go.”

Then, carrying firewood in his hands, Aruni went up to Citra Gangayani and
said: “Let me come to you as your pupil.” And Citra said to him: “Gautama, you
have proved yourself worthy of the formulation of truth (brahman), since you have
not succumbed to pride. Come, I’ll see to it that you perceive it clearly.”

2 Citra continued: “When people depart from this world, it is to the moon that
they all go. By means of their lifebreaths the moon swells up in the fortnight of
waxing, and through the fortnight of waning it propels them to new birth. Now, the
moon is the door to the heavenly world. It allows those who answer its question to
pass. As to those who do not answer its question, after they have become rain, it
rains them down here on earth, where they are born again in these various condi-
tions — as a worm, an insect, a fish, a bird, a lion, a boar, a rhinoceros, a tiger, a
man, or some other creature — each in accordance with his actions and his knowl-
edge.”

When someone approaches it, the moon asks: “Who are you?” And he should
reply:

The semen, O Seasons, is gathered,
from the radiant one,
from the one with fifteen parts,
from the one who is born,
from the one linked to the fathers.

Then you sent me into a man, the agent;
and, through that man as the agent,
you poured me into a mother.

327

Kausltaki Upanisad

1.5

Here I am bom, given birth to as an addition,
as the thirteenth, the added month,
by a father of twelve parts.

I recognize it.

I understand it.

So lead me, O Seasons, to immortality.

By that truth, by that austerity—

I am the season!

I am the offspring of the season!

Who am I?

I am you!

The moon lets him pass.

3 He then gets on the path leading to the gods and reaches first the world of fire,
then the world of wind, then the world of Varuna, then the world of Indra, then
the world of Prajapati, and finally the world of brahman.

Now, in this world are located the lake Ara, the watchmen Muhurta, the river
Vijara, the tree Ilya, the plaza Salajya, the palace Aparajita, the doorkeepers Indra
and Prajapati, the hall Vibhu, the throne Vicaksana, and the couch Amitaujas.

4 He first arrives at the lake Ara. He crosses it with his mind, but those who go
cL into it without a complete knowledge drown in it. Then he arrives near the
watchmen Muhurta, but they flee from him. Then he arrives at the river Vijara,
which he crosses with just his mind. There he shakes off his good and bad deeds,
which fall upon his relatives — the good deeds upon the ones he likes and the bad
deeds upon the ones he dislikes. It is like this — as a man driving a chariot would
look down and observe the two wheels of his chariot, so he looks down and ob-
serves the days and nights, the good and bad deeds, and all the pairs of opposites.
Freed from his good and bad deeds, this man, who has the knowledge of brahman,
goes on to brahman.

A 1 The beloved ManasI and her twin CaksusT have picked flowers and bring
slU them here — so also the two Jagati, Amba and Ambali, and other celestial
nymphs such as Ambika. As the man who knows this is approaching, Brahman tells
them: “Run to him with my glory! He has already arrived at the river Vijara! He
will never grow old!” Five hundred celestial nymphs go out to meet him — one hun-
dred carrying garlands, one hundred carrying lotions, one hundred carrying cos-
metic powders, one hundred carrying clothes, and one hundred carrying fruits. And
they adorn him with the ornaments of brahman. Then, decked with the ornaments of
brahman, this man, who has the knowledge of brahman, goes on to brahman.

5 He then arrives at the tree Ilya, and the fragrance of brahman permeates him.

Then he arrives at the plaza Salajya, and the flavor of brahman permeates him.
Then he arrives at the palace Aparajita, and the radiance of brahman permeates

329

1.5

The Early Upanisads

jrf^rfcT I 3il J |-oycfl^il'JllHcf1" gTRfqf I rTMFn^T^rf: I RWI^fd
qft?F[ I 1 1WT5T: 4 qf^TSTfcT I

W 3TFT^5fcT I f^Fdt HFFft gqf q# #fFf^T^ 6

xnqft - qr^fr" ^#0# fcRtff 9 I m aw spt ft

ftqRft 10 !

*r 3n^r^^ftcTWB‘ 1; c t%jt I qr qwr: 12 I w q q#

q# ssftefrr wrtr sr ^ 13 w# #W 14 qrqsq frnqif^ q

qp#TTcTRTf^r L ’ f^ffqrft hIhT^m RRdrqw '^frsq^nr: 16 sffq-

q^rtw I

I ?rftq41%FTTt^Rr srrcrgfcr I <r st^tr 17 qfctfHcr I t

qfci¥w IIMI

C\ *'*

I ancf^f^q I ancwiii^: qrgcfr wfft W tom ffdf

^TdR ITdWdRT 2 I WWT HcTR I qFdPT^r gfcsWJreftfcT I

c\ C\ C\ C\

ctrit ^rspTFfticr I
'Frvqfqfd qq id I

e\ x

f^ - crawcql^fcr i

qcpr^w qqfhw cRHcf I 3T^r qt^ qqw dwr" I dtw 1
qrqrf^T^Tiltqcr 7 srcqftfcr I q,dMR4 crtf I

d^d^eil^H l^qrbd ll^ll

q^T:’ dTq%?T aWTf^WT: I

?r i#cr 2 ittq qdM^rqqr qRq II ffcr II

ctw 3r if #=TTf^ 3 qTRFqraWHcr 4 I q^ftfcr" qqicr; I
#R HMdqiltlfrT 6 I -HH^fcl I

>o

#R F#TPFTT^tfrf I dl^fcl I

#R TRIlPfrl I q|u|^ 7 |

330

Kausitaki Upanisad

1.7

him. Then he arrives near the doorkeepers, Indra and Prajapati, and they flee from
him. Then he arrives at the hall Vibhu, and the glory of brahman permeates him.

Then he arrives at the throne Vicaksana. Its two front legs are the Saman chants
Brhat and Rathantara; its two back legs are the Saman chants Syaita and Naudhasa;
its two lengthwise supports are the Saman chants Vairupa and Vairaja; and its two
side supports are the Saman chants Sakvara and Raivata. The throne itself is wis-
dom, for wisdom enables a man to be discerning.

Then he arrives at the couch Amitaujas. It is lifebreath. Its two front legs are
the past and the present; its two back legs are prosperity and nourishment; its two
lengthwise supports are the Saman chants Brhat and Rathantara; its two head sup-
ports are the Saman chants Bhadra and Yajnayajnlya; the strings stretching length-
wise are the Rg verses and the Saman chants; those stretching crosswise are the
Yajus formulas; the coverlet is the Soma stalks; the second cover is the High Chant;
and the pillow is prosperity.

On that couch sits brahman. A man who knows this mounts it, first with his
foot. Brahman then asks him: “Who are you?” He should reply —

6 “I am the season! I am the offspring of the season. I was born from the womb
of space as the semen for the wife, as the radiance of the year, as the self
(atman) of every being! You are the self of every being. I am who you are.”
Brahman then asks him: “Who am I?”

And he should reply: “The real.”

“What is the real ( satyam )?”

“Sat is whatever is other than the gods and the lifebreaths (prana), while Tyam
consists of the gods and the lifebreaths. All of that is comprehended by this word
‘real’ (satyam). That is the full extent of this whole world. And you are this whole
world.”

That is what he then said to brahman. This very point has been made in this
verse:

Yajus is the belly, Saman, the head;
The Rg is the body of this great seer;
He is imperishable.

He consists of brahman.

“He is brahman ” —

So should he be known.

Brahman then asks him: “By what means do you grasp my masculine names?”
He should reply: “With my breath.”

“And my neuter names?”

“With my mind.”

“And my feminine names?”

“With my speech.”

“And my odors?”

“With my sense of smell.”

331

1.7

The Early Upanisads

^Tnjftfcr I ^r^icr 8 I
SMTftfcT I I

^TfjRBT^tfcr I i^r^fcT' I
^[Wtfrr I ^?rrwf¥cr I
ffrT I SlfftorfcT I
qfcr jr^refct n^rfcT 10 I I

^tcT I MKIwilPlfrl I

f^rat tew I S^rfTT 11 ^TTrT 12 I

c\ %

cfw sirit 13 t ^ # c^s?r 14 ^smRrfcr 15 I m ?rr sr^rwT RrfM - 16

°# 2 RtTf M^ lb Wlfft cl t sqf ^: 17 czpg^- IT ^ ^ ?T IT/T ^ I M 1

II ^fcT TTWteezTFT: II

srr°fr ^fcr f fttf ^■•fRife: I ctw r ^ q^r pir sr^Ffr ^nfr

get '^T^fff 2 s #5f ?PSTRf^ I

*r ?jt f err q^r mm srfrofr ptt g?r I ^r^ffsr

%rqi^rqfcr I w. s^rr ^NRi^Ri^^fci I vx mr

HR^HT^mfer 0 I

eTC^" c[T q^ - RF1W sTfRT URTT: 6 ^cTT srf^ W#cf I

q^T f^R^- 7 ^cfRTqTPRTTf^ ^ WRf^T JT TTcr ^ I cTFTtqRfW

■Ml “3 Riel I

cT^TT wm f^Tf^Tc^TT^^E^T'Tf^^t^lT^RTfl - ^RemT) H I R) fcl 8 I cf 9 qtpgw-

*r ^^icy^-iMstfl'M I q^r smtsiiNeiY‘ 0 i t<aUH^q^R^RT ;i

S7TTP cf ifcT II? II

332

Kausltaki JJpanisad

2.1

“And my visible appearances?”

“With my sight.”

“And my sounds?”

“With my hearing.”

“And my tasting of food?”

“With my tongue.”

“And my actions?”

“With my hands.”

“And my pleasure and pain?”

“With my body.”

“And my bliss, delight, and procreation?”

“With my sexual organ.”

“And my movements?”

“With my feet.”

“And my thoughts, objects of perception, and desires?”

“With my intellect.”

Brahman then tells him: “I see that you have truly attained my world. It is
yours, so-and-so!” Whatever victory and success belongs to brahman — the same
victory he wins, the same success he attains, when a man comes to know this.

ADHYAYA 2

1 ''Brahman is breath” — that is what Kausltaki used to say. Now, of this breath
that is brahman — the messenger is the mind; the guard is sight; the crier is
hearing; and the maid is speech.

And, indeed, anyone who knows that the mind is the messenger of this breath
that is brahman comes to possess a messenger; anyone who knows that sight is its
guard comes to possess a guard; anyone who knows that hearing is its crier comes
to possess a crier; and anyone who knows that speech is its maid comes to possess a
maid.

And to this very breath that is brahman all these deities bring offerings without
its having to ask. All beings, likewise, bring offerings to a man who knows this
without his ever having to ask. “He should not ask” — that is his secret instruction
(upanisad).

It is like this. Take a man who begs in a village and receives nothing. He would
sit down, vowing: “I’ll never eat anything given from here.” Thereupon, the very
same people who may have previously spurned him offer him invitations.

For one who does not ask, this becomes the rule — the very people who give
food invite him, saying: “We’ll give you.”

333

2.2

The Early Upanisads

KausTtaki Upanisad

2.4

2 “Brahman is breath” — that is what Paingya used to say. Now, of this breath
that is brahman — the sight is confined behind speech; the hearing is confined
behind sight; the mind is confined behind hearing; and the breath is confined behind
the mind.

To this very breath that is brahman, indeed, all these deities bring offerings
without its having to ask. All beings, likewise, bring offerings to a man who knows
this without his ever having to ask. “He should not ask” — that is his secret instruc-
tion (upanisad).

It is like this. Take a man who begs in a village and doesn’t receive anything.
He would sit down, vowing: “I’ll never eat anything given from here.” Thereupon,
the very same people who may have previously spurned him offer him invitations.

For one who does not ask, this becomes the rule — the very people who give
food invite him, saying: “We’ll give you.”

3 Next, the capture of “an identical object of value.” When a person sets his heart
on “an identical object of value” [as someone else], this is what he should do.
Either on the full moon or on the new moon, or under an auspicious constellation
during the bright half of the month, he should put firewood into his sacred fire,
sweep around it, spread sacred grass around it, and sprinkle water around it. Then,
bending his right knee, he offers the following oblations of ghee with a spoon:

The deity named Speech is a captor. May he capture this for me from
so-and-so.

To that deity, svaha!

The deity named Smell is a captor. May he capture this for me from
so-and-so.

To that deity, svaha!

The deity named Sight is a captor. May he capture this for me from
so-and-so.

To that deity, svaha!

The deity named Hearing is a captor. May he capture this for me from
so-and-so.

To that deity, svaha!

The deity named Mind is a captor. May he capture this for me from
so-and-so.

To that deity, svaha!

The deity named Intelligence is a captor. May he capture this for me from
so-and-so.

To that deity, svaha!

Then, after he smells the fragrance of the smoke and rubs his body with the ghee, he
should go out silently and either make his objective known in person or dispatch a
messenger. And so, indeed, he will take possession of it.

4 Next, divinely secured love. If someone desires to be the favorite of a particu-
lar man or woman, or of a group of men or women, he should make the same
offerings of ghee in the very same manner on one of the auspicious days given
above:

335

2.4

The Early Upanisads

ct ^ ffTRRTt I

wf fr pt^r# I

^=r Trf^r : ptrJT# <3 t^t i
cT Trf^T *3TfT I

T^Rcf ^ f^RRfr ^TfT I
wf cT *rf*r ffWt' ^rtfcf I

3PT S[JTW yf-ivH-ll ^fS| ^q' 4 yr^T^f^lW^J ^TFT?f

RTcTTgT (rr^TWTTTFr: 6 ffcft f^T ^fcf FR^T fyiFT* I |V||

aRUcf: WFT ^Id^HInrKHf^FtRfafcr 2 RTWcf 3 I RI^lT Wcf R
rrrawrf^ spRticr I ypr crr Rif^r ^fcf I q-rat trr: snf&T% t
cTT^T^Rj 5mtfrT I cT^T 5TFT fftfcT I

q^r aRRt arJjcT arrfcfr 4 ^rra^r ?qw rrrt 5 fflfci I aqsr ^t ar^rr
anfcPfrs^craTiRxTT: % rfrT I q^C t q^ 6 f^M'sf^tT R

■^$<4 l»-^s£: I K 1 1

sT^fcT w FT[f ^pnjfTT: I cTf^Trfynftcf I Reftf^r fT^ RcTT^

r -s L i C2, d . cr\ ^ c^_ A i. i

Kausltaki Upanisad

2.7

So-and-so, I offer your speech in me, svaha!

So-and-so, I offer your smelling in me, svaha!

So-and-so, I offer your sight in me, svaha!

So-and-so, I offer your hearing in me, svaha!

So-and-so, I offer your mind in me, svaha!

So-and-so, I offer your intelligence in me, svaha!

Then, after he smells the fragrance of the smoke and rubs his body with ghee, he
should go out silently and either seek to come into bodily contact with the person(s)
in question or simply stand upwind engaged in conversation with the individual(s)
in question. He will, indeed, become their favorite! They will, indeed, love him!

5 Next, the control of Pratardana, which is also called “the daily fire sacrifice
offered internally.” Clearly, a man is unable to breathe while he is speaking.
So, during that time he offers his breath in his speech. A man is, likewise, unable to
speak while he is breathing. So, during that time he offers his speech in his breath.

One offers these two endless and deathless offerings without interruption,
whether one is awake or asleep. All other offerings, on the other hand, are limited,
for they consist of ritual activities. It is because they knew this that people in an-
cient times refrained from offering the daily fire sacrifice.

6 “Brahman is the Uktha” — that is what Suskabhrngara used to say. One should
venerate it as the Rg; then, for the sake of his preeminent prosperity, all beings
will recite praises ( abhi-arc -) for him. One should venerate it as the Yajus; then, for
the sake of his preeminent prosperity, all beings will unite (yuj-) with him. One
should venerate it as the Saman; then, for the sake of his preeminent prosperity, all
beings will bow down ( sam-nam -) to him.

One should venerate it as prosperity; one should venerate it as glory; and one
should venerate it as radiance. Then, just as the Uktha is the most prosperous, the
most glorious, and the most splendid among the Recitations of Praise, in exactly the
same way someone who knows this becomes the most prosperous, the most glori-
ous, and the most splendid of all beings.

Now, this self of the sacrifice, this self consisting of rites — the Adhvaryu priest
puts it together and weaves upon it the self consisting of the Yajus formulas; upon
the self consisting of the Yajus formulas the Hotr priest weaves the self consisting
of the Rg verses; and upon the self consisting of the Rg verses the Udgatr priest
weaves the self consisting of the Saman chants. Such is the self of the triple Veda —
and this becomes, therefore, the self of Indra, [the self of him] who knows this.

7 Next, there are three modes of veneration of Sarvajit Kausltaki. Now, this is
how Sarvajit Kausltaki used to venerate the rising sun. Wearing the upper
garment in the sacrificial position, he would fetch some water, pour it into the water
pot three times, and say: “You are the one who gathers! Gather my sin!” He used to
worship the midday sun in exactly the same way, saying: “You are the one who

337

2.7

The Early Upanisads

^cl^cH^cllW ^iffsf^r TFRTT I cfl^FTCT^TrW TFW-

■\ ♦ rv *\ r\ r\ i 6 -. . . .

Kausitaki Upanisad

2.9

gathers up! Gather up my sin!” And he used to worship the setting sun in exactly
the same way, saying: “You are the one who gathers completely! Gather my sin
completely!” And the sun did gather completely whatever sin he had committed by
day or night.

Likewise, when a man knows this and worships the sun in exactly the same
way, the sun gathers completely whatever sin he may commit by day or night.

8 Every month, moreover, on the night of the new moon one should worship the
moon as it becomes visible in the west using the very same procedure. Or else
one may throw two green blades of grass toward it, saying:

My heart, the fine kindling stick,
is placed within the moon —
this, I do reckon, I know.

So may I not have to weep
for my children’s misfortune!

His children, indeed, will not die before him.

Now, the preceding is for a man who has a son. As for one who does not have a
son, on the other hand, he should first recite silently these three Rg verses:

Swell up, O Soma!

May virility

gather in you from all sides!

Be there

at the gathering of power!

May juices and powers.

May virile energies,

gather in you, who crush the enemies;

As you swell, O Soma, to immortality,
you capture in the sky the highest glory.

That tiny drop,

the Adityas make to swell;

That imperishable drop,

the imperishable ones drink;

With that drop,

may king Varuna and Brhaspati,
the guardian gods of the world,
make us swell!

He then says: “Do not swell yourself up by means of our lifebreath, our children, or
our livestock. Swell yourself up instead by means of the lifebreath, children, and
livestock of the man who hates us and whom we hate.” Then he turns a full circle
toward his right, saying: “I turn the way of Indra! I turn the way of the sun!”

9 On the night of the full moon, furthermore, one should worship the moon as it
becomes visible in the east using the very same procedure, saying:

“You are King Soma, the radiant! You are Prajapati, with five mouths!

339

2.9

The Early JJpanisads

sTT^RRW iTcF gw clW 4w gWT 'HW?IK I

wwr w gw 4w g#T‘ Msfer 4w g#r w I
wmwr gw" gw 4w g#r q%wtsf^r 4w g#r wftww ww l
3 #^ gw- gw ctw g#4w wwwf^r 4w g^q wtwwtw I

wf^r qwwr gw 2 4r g#r rf&r gwrwiiW 4w g#r
TTPWTK g|W I

wiwrnw gwtw swrw 4g5wi^fer $ w wr

fiwwww srr4w swq t qf^rwr^r^lcr 4 I

^'flnigci'Riq J ^iRc^HiigcfqwNd $14 gf^r wigwwwcf^" I K 1 1

arw ^wwwt^ 1 ^ivpjrg^ci I

wcr 2 g#^ 3 fgw 4 %crpRT: 5 awiwfr 6 I
^rwg?rw^?rFr wr w ™- f^rwr: 7 1 1 ffcr II

W fim:* g=ff 5fWT: M% 1 1 ? o 1 1

stw qWrwgqwr g^tTRi^rf^w 1 I

wfrgiwewgf^r ^tw%wrt^ I

3TIW cW gw wfW' W 4tw 5Rg: WcPT 1 1 ffcT 3 1 1

wrtwt 3 gmfcr 4 I

$mr w=r flwwRggj *rw I

cMY* % gwriHllV W 4W 5RW 5Tcfg 1 1 $14 1 1

WWRW 7 gorier I w4w qftgpfrr I

^FT 9 qWTqfcT: qWT: R^gpTWf^f 10 I
4w wr qftg^#r I

wwrf4f4 I

3TWTWT gt^t wof WTWWl' RWf^T Jib|c|?l4]141414 I

340

Kausitaki Upanisad

2.11

“The Brahmin is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat the kings. Make
me a food-eater with that mouth.

“The king is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat the Vaisyas. Make
me a food-eater with that mouth.

“The falcon is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat the birds. Make me
a food-eater with that mouth.

“The fire is one mouth of yours; with that mouth you eat this world. Make me a
food-eater with that mouth.

“There is a fifth mouth in you; with that mouth you eat all beings. Make me a
food-eater with that mouth.

“Do not wane by means of our lifebreath, our children, or our livestock. Wane
instead by means of the life, children, and livestock of the man who hates us and
whom we hate.” Then he turns a full circle toward his right, saying: “I turn the way
of the deities! I turn the way of the sun!”

Now, when a man is preparing to engage in sexual intercourse with his
wife, he should touch her heart, saying:

Your heart, O lady so good to lie on,
rests within Prajapati.

Therefore, O queen of immortality,
may you not encounter
your children’s misfortune!

Her children, indeed, will not die before her.

n Now, when a man returns from a journey, he should sniff his son’s head,
saying:

From my body you spring — from every inch!

From my heart you are bom!

You’re my self, son, you have rescued me!

May you live a hundred years!

With that he confers the name on him.

Be a rock! Be an ax!

Be indestructible gold!

You are the radiance called son!

May you live a hundred years!

With that he pronounces his son’s name and then embraces him, saying: “As
Prajapati embraced his children for their safety, so I embrace you, so-and-so!” Then
he recites this silently in his son’s right ear:

O Indra! O Maghavan! O Rjlsin !

Grant him ample wealth,
bestowing all treasures.

O Indra, you with fine cheeks!

Grant him a hundred years to live,
and countless heroic sons.

341

2.11

The Early Upanisads

krok krrok kkT rok i: I

to krorr 1J to 14 rokw: 15 to t toto mmr I

16 17

krror tot ^ tot TOjfrokkyk 1 1

O C\

3TOTTfkfcT^ ftMHRfkkkr 111 I

C\ n

w ero 20 1 1 ? ? II

^ <3 N

3FTTcfr kn kkRT: I WTO krot qqfkfefcT I srtrTf^TOcT TOT
TOeSfeT I TOTOkcTOkr M- TOTOfeT TOTO TOTO: I R^rf ifNcf TOTrkTOfT
pqet ( 3T%fk^k TOT fTOet I cTOT qTOTOTkr kit TO^gfcT TOTO W1W: I

kt - qro kkr totototo <pkr I srkrfkrot tot ijroier I error fkpkr
kfr TOTOkr TOj TO TO: I r^ett §^r kkt q%fftTOteTk I 3 TkkTOTer q?T
fkftck I error 1 fkr qro kfr roofer toj tow. I err to kf trorr
TOrok krror qrqt gro ro rokk i roronkr 4 ^kkt l

^rorf^k eiTO' I tototototot llkli

i 3 ^r| ^r ttrotr totto qqfcr I rokrfkrot qrr ktr I error 1 TOgkr
kit rorofcT tow toto ! n.eil si$j krot q^rogro 'rrorfer I srkrkrqeT q?r
qrorfer I error krok kfr TOktr toto toto I ^eri qro kkr q^rkr
^ftfer l srfkTOrot tot gkfer I error tot ^ krt qrokr toto toto I
TOri srro krot qrororr ronqfer I rokrikqet q?r ronroltr 1 error TOrok

kt TOrofeT TOTO TOTO: I TO TO ^TO TOTT kofT: TOTOkr kTOT TO^t sgTO =T

rokk I erronk rorktrot I

C\ <3

TOik w to k fkirojk 4 krokkrokTro kkrofraroTO grgkrrfr
q fro 6 ro^kkreTTro 7 I fkrkr qk rorot tfk ro i#t 8 tft-

fkk linn

342

Kausltaki Upanisad

2.13

And in his left ear:

Grant him, O Indra,

the finest treasures and quickness of mind
good fortune and increase of wealth,
bodily safety and sweetness of speech,
fine weather every day of his life.

Then he sniffs his son’s head three times, saying:

Be not cut off! Do not weaken!

O my son, live a life,
a hundred years long!

With your name,

I kiss your head,

So-and-so!

Then he makes the sound “hum” over his son’s head, saying: “With the same ‘ hum ’
sound the cows make as they low, I make the ‘hum’ sound upon your head.”

"1 O Next, the “dying around of the deities.” The brahman shines forth here
_L J—m when the fire is burning; but when the fire stops burning it dies, and its ra-
diance goes to the sun, and its lifebreath to the wind. The brahman shines forth here
when the sun is shining; but when the sun stops shining it dies, and its radiance goes
to the moon, and its lifebreath to the wind. The brahman shines forth here when the
moon is shining; but when the moon stops shining it dies, and its radiance goes to
the lightning, and its lifebreath to the wind. The brahman shines forth here when the
lightning is flashing; but when the lightning stops flashing it dies, and its radiance
goes to the quarters, and its lifebreath to the wind. Now, when they have entered
into the wind, when they have crept into the wind, all these deities do not lose their
self-identity, but emerge from it once again.

That was with respect to the deities. Next, with respect to the body ( atman ):

B The brahman shines forth here when one is speaking with one’s speech; but
when one stops speaking it dies, and its radiance goes to one’s sight, and its
lifebreath to one’s breath. The brahman shines forth here when one is seeing with
one’s sight; but when one stops seeing it dies, and its radiance goes to one’s hear-
ing, and its lifebreath to one’s breath. The brahman shines forth here when one is
hearing with one’s hearing; but when one stops hearing it dies, and its radiance goes
to one’s mind, and its lifebreath to one’s breath. The brahman shines forth here
when one is thinking with one’s mind; but when one stops thinking it dies, and its
radiance goes to one’s breath, and its lifebreath to one’s breath. Now, when they
have entered the breath, when they have crept into the breath, all these deities do not
lose their self-identity, but emerge from it once again.

And, therefore, when someone knows this, even if both the mountain ranges,
the southern and the northern, were to rush at him determined to level him, they
would not succeed in leveling him. On the contrary, the people who hate him and
the people he himself hates will die around him.

343

cnwr 3TT#wf^IWT% ^€JTcf 6 I 3f?TR^ 7 totoi |

to it cto ^TFfHrT fto I to ^ to ipt to ^F : I
ffFT Tt cto ^totfcT f^eTT I to ct to ^fcT W: I
xng-if tor ^erFftfcr to" I : ^^rT to ^er to ^pr: I
to *r tor ^toto to I to rt to to pr: I
st^r^tr^ o=(Rr ^£t i-41 fci Plcii I ^pk^TccI ^rf^r sfci I
torf^r it tor ^toto to l toto ct to ^r tor to I
g^ : % if tor ^toto to I ct to 3^r to rt. I

344

Kausltaki Upanisad

2.15

M Ncxt, gaining preeminence. Once these deities, each arguing for its own
preeminence, departed from this body, and it lay there like a log.

Then speech entered the body, but, although it spoke with its speech, it still re-
mained there lying prostrate.

After that, sight entered the body, but, although it spoke with its speech and
saw with its sight, it still remained there lying prostrate.

After that, hearing entered the body, but, although it spoke with its speech, saw
with its sight, and heard with its hearing, it still remained there lying prostrate.

After that, the mind entered the body, but, although it spoke with its speech,
saw with its sight, heard with its hearing, and thought with its mind, it still remained
there lying prostrate.

Finally, the breath entered the body, and straightway it got up.

After all these deities had recognized the preeminence of breath and united
themselves with that very breath, which is the self ( dtman ) consisting of intelli-
gence, they all departed together from this body, and, entering the wind and with
space as their self, went to heaven.

In exactly the same way, a person who knows this, after he has recognized the
preeminence of breath and united himself with that very breath, which is the self
consisting of intelligence, departs from this body accompanied by all these, and,
entering the wind and with space as his self, goes to heaven. He goes to where these
gods are. And because the gods are immortal, upon reaching there a man who
knows this becomes immortal.

"| pr Next, the father-son ceremony, which is also called the rite of transfer. A
JL \~J father, when he is close to death, calls his son. After the house has been
strewn with fresh grass, the fire has been kindled, and a pot of water has been set
down along with a cup, the father lies down covered in a fresh garment. The son
comes and lies on top of him, touching the various organs of the father with his own
corresponding organs. Alternatively, the father may execute the transfer with the
son sitting and facing him. The father then makes the transfer to the son:

“I will place my speech in you,” says the father. “I place your speech in me,”
responds the son.

“I will place my breath in you,” says the father. “I place your breath in me,” re-
sponds the son.

“I will place my sight in you,” says the father. “I place your sight in me,” re-
sponds the son.

“I will place my hearing in you,” says the father. “I place your hearing in me,”
responds the son.

“I will place my tasting of food in you,” says the father. “I place your tasting of
food in me,” responds the son.

“I will place my actions in you,” says the father. “I place your actions in me,”
responds the son.

“I will place my pleasures and pains in you,” says the father. “I place your
pleasures and pains in me,” responds the son.

345

2.15

The Early Upanisads

3 TFF? tor toff t rto rtotfcT facTT I 3 TTto to tocT ft
to 3 sr to 5 ^r: l

tor 10 £r tor toto to I eto; 1 to to ^ I
to *r tor srtotfrT to I tot to to to I
to ir tor ^toto tor I to ft to ^r to to ;12 l
m totor: wirtoto sr^rnto tor ertoto to I rrmto

' 0 c\

to to to ;13 1

3ft to^to^totowto 14 I cT torwtot tor ^totr 15 tofto
c^t ^wrftor I 3rtor: rr^rtotortoto' 16 tontor ^Ritor 17 =rr
w*m toff $ ^ i ^RTTwtor I

*r 5 vjj|'.;: ^qrcjtotof 18 tor toto tor I ?rg" t torrtot
^rtototo rrtototo tot W° rrtototo tor 1 1 ?hi l

II to totoezTFT: II

stofr 1 f t 2 ttototoFT to totwipr gto ^ toto =w \ ?f
to ^T^r tor to ftotor I *r tor^r Rctortor 4 it 5 ^tor tr ^
ftoto wrr to I t to rj^T^r t t - torscrto fto 'tow
ftotor l tor 7 t -8 fto w to 9 torw tor: I tor toto: wtow
tor 10 to to: l

cf to wcnto tow ftotot I toto toto to wto 2
ftotorw 13 I ftoftor ^#^nr 14 ar^prito towrraito^ 16 5nw y
to : ^ jW wftow fto rrfrrtoTtotor 19 stoto h 1 to tori' 20

c^lcicjoio^i h' I W5W ir WW W rtlH dH l^l'Mcl I

N

w wt to to 23 Tft wew tor ww wtor tor tott 24 w tor w
piftW w wRjwto w totor 23 I www to" ^to 2 ' gtoto to
to 28 u?n

346

Kausitaki Upanisad

3.1

“I will place my bliss, delight, and procreation in you,” says the father. “I place
your bliss, delight, and procreation in me,” responds the son.

“I will place my movements in you,” says the father. “I place your movements
in me,” responds the son.

“I will place my mind in you,” says the father. “I place your mind in me,” re-
sponds the son.

“I will place my intelligence in you,” says the father. “I place your intelligence
in me,” responds the son.

If he finds it difficult to talk, the father should say very briefly : “I will place my
vital functions (prana ) in you.” And the son should respond: “I place your vital
functions in me.”

Then, as the son, turning around toward his right, goes away toward the east,
his father calls out to him: “May glory, the luster of sacred knowledge, and fame
attend you!” The son, for his part, looks over his left shoulder, hiding his face with
his hand or covering it with the hem of his garment, and responds: “May you gain
heavenly worlds and realize your desires!”

If the father recovers his health, he should either live under the authority of his
son or live as a wandering ascetic. But if he happens to die, they should perform the
appropriate final rites for him.

ADHYAYA 3

I Once Pratardana, the son of Divodasa, arrived at the favorite residence of Indra
as a result of war and valor. And Indra said to him: “Choose a present, Pratar-
dana.” But Pratardana replied: “Why don’t you yourself choose something for me
that you consider most beneficial to a human being?” Indra retorted: “Surely, a su-
perior does not choose for someone who is inferior to him. You had better choose
yourself.” And Pratardana replied: “Well then, I think I’ll do without the present.”
Indra, however, did not deviate from the truth, for Indra is the truth.

And he told Pratardana: “Perceive just me. What I consider to be most benefi-
cial to a human being is that he should perceive me. I killed the three-headed son of
Tvastr, as well as the Arunmukhas. I handed over the Yatis to the hyenas. Breaking
numerous agreements, I smashed the Prahladlyas in the sky, the Paulomas in the
intermediate region, and the Kalakanjas on the earth. And I did not lose even a hair
of my body in the process.

“When a man perceives me, nothing that he does — whether it is stealing, or
performing an abortion, or killing his own father or mother — will ever make him
lose a single hair of his body. And when he has committed a sin, his face does not
lose its color.”

347

3.2

The Early Upanisads

F' SHijllcFI I cT FTFTgFgFpFFFTFF I FTF: FFT: PIT'

FT 3TTJ: I FN^RFo^'Cl't FFP FTFfcT dlF<}ld: | FFIF IQ FrR4 $T-

^SgFcFFliilfcf FfFF FcF Ffe-MHj I F FT FIFTFfgFftRgFR# ?#FIgT-
R-H gt=F M,<?QlylcFgFr3Hf^fd' fR cil^> I

F#F FTf^^q- g FFF FFFfftfcT I F f# F?9F 5i^!<FFiF41F " FFF
FftTFf#g° F5gFT n FF FttF 5T# FFFT SFThV’ I F/FPRT t FFTT
Vk^c^dlP) 1 " FtrfV'‘ FfTFFFftf#’ I FTF FFFft Ft FFF FgF## I
Fig".* 6 F5FTF# FFF FgFfFf# I Ftf ^WcFt FFF 3FgUciRT I FFt
SFTFcF? FFF FFWFpF I FFT FFTFT Ft FFF FgFFTftT 7 I

gFF iFf^fcr Iff FFTF I fRf FFTTFT 9 ft:tFFMt 20 ll^ll

FfkfrT FFFTFT ggrrf# WT: I ^kfcf F^ft#SFnfV F5FTF". I
'SffafrT FTFltcft F%Fl% FfFTF: I ^Mcf FFtstcfT FTcF% F5FTF: 2 I
41=lfrl FTgi^FT ttFlFFftfJF fctt % F5FTF ^fcf I

FF FFT TTF FfFr^F flttt Fftg^ftcFTCFfcT I FFF^-

F^FlFF^FFM^r 5 I tFT FFt FFtfrT: 6 I

Ft t FFT: FT FfTT I FT t 7 FfF F FFT. 8 I cTCttt'F 9 ^#tFRf1H 10
FfcFgFF: 11 gF: FFT F cbo^H 12 FfFcFFrrftFFFT gfWT FFt# 13 I Ft# 4
d.^gF-pjF: FFFFfrT I ^Fg: Ff Ft: FfFtfcT I Ft# gf: 5T#
FgI#fcT I FF: Ftst# 13 F^FtfcT I F W FfriW#' FFFF#5F: F#
#5F 16 f^tgfeJfT 17 f#rfcF^^^dFHKIr'HH: 1S FFTT FFTFFF f#rfcF5#
Fnt^FT #F cfivqr fFFF: I

F F^T FFT gF FfFFtf 5Tdt FftgWFFFFfcT I FFITtFtttWgFT-
#rffcT I tFT FFT FFTfit I

FT t FFT: FT FfF I FT FfF F FFTt° 1 F#tF f##t#tfFF
FtrFgFF FTcff Fft’FFTFf# 1 ttc# 2 FFTg #RT 23 I FFTI^FFFft^FcT ‘ 4

348

Kausltaki Upanisad

3.3

2 And Indra continued: “I am breath {prana ), the self ( atrnan ) consisting of intel-
ligence. So venerate me as life and immortality. Breath is life. And life is
breath, for as long as breath remains in this body, so does life; and hence it is
through breath that one attains immortality in this world, and through intelligence,
true intentions. Anyone who venerates me as life and immortality gets to live his
full life span in this world and wins an immortal and imperishable state in the heav-
enly world.”

“But there are some people who say that the vital functions (prana) come to-
gether into a unified whole. For, no one is able to bring himself to perceive sepa-
rately a name with his speech, a visible appearance with his sight, a sound with his
hearing, or a thought with his mind. When the vital functions have become a unified
whole, however, they make him perceive all these one by one — as speech speaks,
all the vital functions speak along with it; as sight sees, all the vital functions see
along with it; as hearing hears, all the vital functions hear along with it; as the mind
thinks, all the vital functions think along with it; and as the breath breathes, all the
vital functions breathe along with it.”

“That’s exactly so,” said Indra. “But there does exist among the vital functions
one that is preeminent.”

3 “A man continues to live after his speech leaves him, for we see people who
are dumb. A man continues to live after his sight leaves him, for we see people
who are blind. A man continues to live after his hearing leaves him, for we see peo-
ple who are deaf. A man continues to live after his mind leaves him, for we see
people who are imbeciles. And a man continues to live after his arms are cut off and
after his legs are cut off, for we see such people.

“But only the breath, you see, is the self consisting of intelligence. When it
grasps this body, it enables the body to get up ( uttha ), and for this reason one should
venerate it as the Uktha. This is how one comes to possess the Whole in one’s
breath.

“Now, breath is intelligence, and intelligence is breath — one comes to see this,
one comes to perceive this, in the following way. When a man is fast asleep and
sees no dreams at all, then these become unified within this very breath — his speech
then merges into it together with all the names; his sight merges into it together with
all the visible appearances; his hearing merges into it together with all the sounds;
and his mind merges into it together with all the thoughts. And when he awakens
these fly off — as from a blazing fire sparks fly off in every direction, so from this
self the vital functions (prana) fly off to their respective stations, and from the vital
functions, the gods, and from the gods, the worlds.

“When this very breath that is the self consisting of intelligence grasps this
body, it enables the body to get up (uttha), and for this reason one should venerate it
as the Uktha. This is how one comes to possess the Whole in one’s breath.

“Breath is intelligence, and intelligence is breath — one finds the proof of this,
one comes to perceive this, in the following way. When a man is sick and about to
die, he becomes extremely weak and finally loses consciousness. People then say:

349

Kaufitaki Upanisad

3.6

‘Has his breath, perhaps, already left him?’ At this point, he ceases to hear, he
ceases to see, he ceases to speak with his speech, and he ceases to think. Then these
become unified within this very breath — his speech merges into it together with all
the names; his sight merges into it together with all the visible appearances; his
hearing merges into it together with all the sounds; and his mind merges into it to-
gether with all the thoughts. And when the breath finally departs from this body, it
is together with all these that it departs.

4 “Speech releases from this breath all the names, and through speech one grasps
all the names. The sense of smell releases from it all the odors, and through the
sense of smell one grasps all the odors. Sight releases from it all the visible appear-
ances, and through sight one grasps all the visible appearances. Hearing releases
from it all the sounds, and through hearing one grasps all the sounds. The mind re-
leases from it all the thoughts, and through the mind one grasps all the thoughts.
This is how one comes to possess the Whole in one’s breath. Breath is intelligence,
and intelligence is breath, for they both live in this body together, and together they
depart from it.”

Next, we will explain how, [drawn] from this intelligence, all beings become one.

5 “Speech is one part drawn from it, and name is the particle of being that corre-
sponds externally to speech. The sense of smell is one part drawn from it, and
odor is the particle of being that corresponds externally to the sense of smell. Sight
is one part drawn from it, and visible appearance is the particle of being that corre-
sponds externally to sight. Hearing is one part drawn from it, and sound is the parti-
cle of being that corresponds externally to hearing. The tongue is one part drawn
from it, and the taste of food is the particle of being that corresponds externally to
the tongue. The hands are one part drawn from it, and action is the particle of being
that corresponds externally to the hands. The body is one part drawn from it, and
pleasure and pain constitute the particle of being that corresponds externally to the
body. The sexual organ is one part drawn from it, and bliss, delight, and procreation
constitute the particle of being that corresponds externally to the sexual organ. The
feet are one part drawn from it, and movements constitute the particle of being that
corresponds externally to the feet. Intelligence is one part drawn from it, and
thoughts, objects of perception, and desires constitute the particle of being that cor-
responds externally to the intelligence.

6 “When someone mounts speech by means of intelligence, he grasps all names
through his speech. When someone mounts the sense of smell by means of
intelligence, he grasps all odors through his sense of smell. When someone mounts
sight by means of intelligence, he grasps all visible appearances through his sight.
When someone mounts hearing by means of intelligence, he grasps all sounds
through his hearing. When someone mounts the tongue by means of intelligence, he
grasps all tastes of food through his tongue. When someone mounts the hands by

351

3.6

The Early Upanisads

srw srtt ww I q^qw WFiIfqt lHiFt 3

tcT ^nfcPTOtfcT I 5fW qrt FFRfF FT^T W FFf ^T sntrfcT I PTff^T

fM FRiFfr q?itF fmfr FdFFnqtfcr 4 1 1 g i

F ft qfTTtclT FHF FTF ft^FT q^IFt^' 3FFF t F=ftS^?W
Hl^ddTF qwttttft I F ft RffT^cT: WFf 2 W cRFF qwt^ 1 3FFF t
TFfrs^WI FTftcT FFT qTfn%FfticT I F ft y 1 L) ci“ FT ftFF
q^TT^ 1 «RFT t FFtS^FTTF Fl^tcRt qT?1lf4qftfcl I F % qfTTtt tt#
5T®F #FT qfTFT^F; 1 3FFF t F^SFf^cFTF Flftcf STsf 5TT^T%F-

ftft I f ft qwtdT f«rpw ftff qw^ 1 t f^ts^wt

FfftdFW' qisnftqftfcT I F % qwtdf cdt ftrFF qwqtFlcTFT 3
3FFT t FFt*rft?W FTTtTFFt qwlftFftfcT 4 I F % FfTT^cf 5lf ft
g^f:5F 5 f^FFT qdrqFd ' 3FFF t FFFFfWf •'<' ? p'' ! cFyJ<;FT : t " sn§n%-

qftft I f ft q?ntcr tfff tt qsrrft 6 ffff qwqt^ 1 3 fff t

FFt3FRFIIF FT^cFTFFa; F tcT F FFTfcT qknv.Vftfc! I F % qfntcff
TIFlf^W 3FFF qfTF^FTdTF 3 3FFF t Fts*ttd9TF dTftFlftdFf
qrfn%Ftrfrr 7 I f ft qwtdT eft: ffft ftstr qfid°t qwtcf I loll

F FTF ftftwftr FFTF ftaFT I F W ftftwffcT FTcTTF ftw I F
Ft ftftwrttT W ftSTTcf I F SFF ftftdltld tfcTTF ftdTcT I FdFt
ftft^ITtfcITFFTdF fddlclF f4d Id I F =b4 ftftfTTttT <^dt ftdTRT I F
gFtf:FT ftftwttr §^:^Ftrf%Tcfrt ftdFT I FFFF F tt F FdTft 3
tfddltldH^.FI Fct: TdlrltdldiF fddld N I tdTT ftft^TTtttcTTt ftdTcT I
F FFT tftdltlF FFTlt 14 did I

352

Kausltaki Upanisad

3.8

means of intelligence, he grasps all actions through his hands. When someone
mounts the body by means of intelligence, he grasps pleasures and pains through his
body. When someone mounts the sexual organ by means of intelligence, he grasps
bliss, delight, and procreation through his sexual organ. When someone mounts the
feet by means of intelligence, he grasps all movements through his feet. When
someone mounts thinking by means of intelligence, he grasps thoughts, objects of
perception, and desires through his intelligence.

7 “For without intelligence, speech would not make someone perceive any name.

So, one says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive that name.’ For
without intelligence, the sense of smell would not make someone perceive any odor.
So, one says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive that odor.’ For without
intelligence, sight would not make someone perceive any visible appearance. So,
one says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive that visible appearance.’ For
without intelligence, hearing would not make someone perceive any sound. So, one
says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive that sound.’ For without intelli-
gence, the tongue would not make someone perceive the taste of any food. So, one
says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive the taste of that food.’ For with-
out intelligence, the hands would not make someone perceive any action. So, one
says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive that action.’ For without intelli-
gence, the body would not make someone perceive any pleasure or pain. So, one
says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive that pleasure or that pain.’ For
without intelligence, the sexual organ would not make someone perceive any bliss,
delight, or procreation. So, one says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not perceive
that bliss, delight, or procreation.’ For without intelligence, the feet would not make
someone perceive any movement. So, one says: ‘My mind was elsewhere. I did not
perceive that movement.’ For without intelligence, no thinking could take place,
and one would not perceive any object of perception.

8 “It is not the speech that a man should seek to apprehend; rather, he should get
to know the one who speaks it. It is not the odor that a man should seek to ap-
prehend; rather, he should get to know the one who smells it. It is not the visible
appearance that a man should seek to apprehend; rather, he should get to know the
one who sees it. It is not the sound that a man should seek to apprehend; rather, he
should get to know the one who hears it. It is not the taste of food that a man should
seek to apprehend; rather, he should get to know the one who apprehends the taste
of food. It is not the action that a man should seek to apprehend; rather, he should
get to know the one who performs it. It is not the pleasure and pain that a man
should seek to apprehend; rather, he should get to know the one who apprehends
pleasure and pain. It is not the bliss, delight, or procreation that a man should seek
to apprehend; rather, he should get to know the one who apprehends bliss, delight,
or procreation. It is not the movement that a man should seek to apprehend; rather,
he should get to know the one who moves. It is not the mind that a man should seek
to apprehend; rather, he should know the one who thinks.

353

3.8

The Early Upanisads

err srr q^rr \{dHNr 3T%w hsiwmi dftr^dd I dfe 4
^TddTdT d ddf WPTTdT: I ddT RfTPTTTr d ^ddTdT: I d

IRTrRcTt f^HFT %Wlcf I

dT t^^T^TFTT 7 I cRT^TT TWTTtf ^Rf%r dTdTdd dWcIT q;dF$dl
^cTTRW: HfWrdRdffidl: 5rfTRWT: dFrsRdlT: I d qd SIW ^ 3W-
rRH^^’fdt 10 d dnjdT' 1 ^Mj 2 ^rPT^rfcT 13 dT qdTdqjdT d4klH I
q^r #r 14 dm dddrfcr d d^fr dfMtdcr 15 I q^r d i^Tdif 16

cfj-jf dddrfcf d W 17 ijjdd ^ 18 I qd eil'-f-dko: | qd drddRdrfcT: I q^
dtfer: 19 I d d dTdrRr tor d 3rr^% fend Ikll

II ffrT ^rfldbWTFT: I

m l W § dddf dlcdi^mgmFT: ddjv/ did I dtSddf#dtf‘‘
dcd"Hdr^q 5 cg^qo-dici^' 6 ddRlfe^fefcT I d qMlclSI^ dd3dHld^41dld
dfT ^ dfefer I d feldMldd^: dfe dddT '^dldfe 10 dfe ddfe
dddT ffcT dT" d U ddT dlddfer life

31 iRc^ fepfrT eld : dddfddl dfe" dMlfctfe

anrnra - yfedt fei-HRRdife ddid 4 fdfefedd I amiwdTd l stk#
dfcTdmMIdldi feftd: RRr^^ldld^RFcf ijdj": fet dd: dfft"
ydNfeRfeRrRr did: dfe%Rr dddd life

d £1=1 Id d Icilld’d qtd 3-tiRRl ^dqdl^diqdHId $lc1 I d ql d I d I -
d Id^ld dt feRnd-M Idld^r. I dfd^l- d5d I ddldi dT d 5? R d ^q Id

fRf I d dT Id^dJpdlsfclW: dfdf ddldf *TElf ddfeT life

d sC I did" dTdTfef q^td dddRf ddddT^dTFgdTd fef I d felW-

354

Kausitaki Upanisacl

4.4

“These, then, are the particles of being; there are just ten of them. They exist in
correlation to intelligence, just as the ten particles of intelligence exist in correlation
to the external elements. For, if the particles of being did not exist, there would be
no particles of intelligence, and, inversely, if the particles of intelligence did not
exist, there would be no particles of being, because from either of them indepen-
dently no image would be produced.

“Nevertheless, there is no diversity in all this. As in a chariot the rim is fastened
to the spokes, and the spokes, to the hub, in just the same way these particles of be-
ing are fastened to the particles of intelligence, and the particles of intelligence are
fastened to breath. This very breath is the self consisting of intelligence; it is bliss,
unaging, and immortal. It does not become more by good actions or in any way less
by bad actions, for it is the one that makes those people perform good actions whom
it wants to lead up from these worlds and makes those people perform bad actions
whom it wants to push down from these worlds. He is the ruler of the world. He is
the sovereign of the world. He is the lord of the world. One should realize: ‘He is
my self ( atman ).’”

ADHYAYA 4

I Now, Gargya Balaki was a learned and widely traveled man, who had lived in
the land of Usinara, in the land of Satvan and Matsya, in the land of Kuru and
Pancala, and in the land of Kasi and Videha. Once he visited Ajatasatru, the king of
Kasi, and said to him: “Let me tell you a formulation of truth ( brahman ).”
Ajatasatru replied: “We’ll give you a thousand cows! At a speech such as that, peo-
ple are sure to rush here, shouting: ‘Here’s a Janaka! Here’s a Janaka!”’

2 The great in the sun; the food in the moon; the radiance in lightning; the sound
in thunder; Indra Vaikuntha in the wind; the full in space; the irresistible in the
fire; the truth in the waters — that was with respect to the divine sphere. Next, with
respect to the body {atman ) — resemblance in a mirror; companion in a shadow; life
in an echo; death in a sound; Yama in a dream; Prajapati in the body; [the essence]
of speech in the right eye; [the essence] of truth in the left eye.

3 Balaki then said: “It is that person in the sun that I venerate.” Ajatasatru re-
plied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as the
most eminent of all beings, as their head. Anyone who venerates him in this way
will become the most eminent of all beings, he will become their head.”

4 Balaki then said: “It is that person in the moon that I venerate.” Ajatasatru re-
plied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as

355

4.4

The Early Upanisads

dld^df I 1 dTrfr I Hi fcl " dT

sr^cfgw firr I ?r ^fr tcrrta^^sfWR^rr I ivi i

W f^TxT dlcilR4 fcffcT ^wrwgw ffcT I # ft^W-
STTrTSrpf I clW 3TTHtfcr 2 dT STf^cT^W ffcT I d~ 4t

tcT^fTR^^w 1 anw^rafcr IIMI

d" ^TET ^Tc5TfM ?cRl^# ffcT I cf IT^T^TT-

dTdsrpf I ^nMfci nr st^ct^w ffcr I w 4T

tdAd^HItcl ^Is^WlcHI wfcf 1 1^1 1

w fmr^r «rroMf>4 i#r 2 srrat ifcr I ir frwr^T-

sncRi'g^if tcrf^Rrar^rw: l tcg^Tdf^err £r4fcr m ^"ficrgw
ffcT I ?T 4t fcT^WT fcnwj# dT amM^HddHddPtft 3 ^wfcT 1 M 1

?T flcfpti q c-i-fcj-,4 tr'^fcj an^T5t ffcf I <T lid MM I-

c^Tfffr tc#fRk]^rw: l q^nro^- 1 dT ar^crgw ffcr I ?r 4t
fcr^qTf^ yfcT q^RT q^nf?raT d^Tw h^tt-

\\ 6 \\

ST lid |xT dlcilf<^4 t$^l6ifr ^ddwld ll^H RT ^fcT I <T lldMMId^ldd'i'

%f^T^Kf^rw: I f%rraf|f^cr nr 3 t^?ptw ffcr I d~ 4t ^dl'dfl'qi^r
f^rrcrft# ^r 3 f 4V ^mfcT 2 IKII

£T Id dlcilfcb4 i^dlSRjT M^d'M^dlldHM $fd I d 2 lldMMIdSI 'jd'l
^cTf^W^TW : I drd^TTr^T 1 dT 3T^cPgW ffcT I F 4T | cT^fTR^
dHWcdf STdfcT 1 IMfMddd' I 1 1 ? ° 1 1

«• ildM srr^f ^dqw^dri'jw 1 % I cf ^ttmt-

^TTcRTwr 1 qf^r 1 % dT srf^cfgdw ffcr I *r dt

Bd4dHMI^' yfcNf'Ml |dTW 5MTd~mMldl'' dmfcTHT: II?? II

v -o ^

356

Kausltaki Upanisad

4.11

Soma, the great king dressed in white, the essence ( atman ) of food. Anyone who
venerates him in this way will become the essence of food.”

5 Balaki then said: “It is that person in lightning that I venerate.” Ajatasatru re-
plied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as the
essence (atman) of radiance. Anyone who venerates him in this way will become
the essence of radiance.”

6 Balaki then said: “It is that person in thunder that I venerate.” Ajatasatru re-
plied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as the
essence (atman) of sound. Anyone who venerates him in this way will become the
essence of sound.”

7 Balaki then said: “It is that person in the wind that I venerate.” Ajatasatru re-
plied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as Indra
Vaikuntha, the invincible weapon. Anyone who venerates him in this way will be-
come victorious and invincible, and he will triumph over his adversaries.”

8 Balaki then said: “It is that person in space that I venerate.” Ajatasatru replied:
“Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as the full and
nondepleting brahman. Anyone who venerates him in this way will become filled
with children and livestock, with fame and the luster of sacred knowledge, and with
the heavenly world; he will live his full life span.”

9 Balaki then said: “It is that person in the fire that I venerate.” Ajatasatru re-
plied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as the
irresistible one. Anyone who venerates him in this way will become irresistible
among those who are outsiders.”

'1 r\ Balaki then said: “It is that person in the waters that I venerate.” Ajatasatru
JL W replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as
the essence (atman) of truth. Anyone who venerates him in this way will become
the essence of truth.”

That was with respect to the divine sphere. Next, with respect to the body (atman):

n Balaki then said: “It is that person in a mirror that I venerate.” Ajatasatru
replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as
a resemblance. When anyone venerates him in this way, only children who resem-
ble him will be born to him, and none who does not resemble him.”

357

4.12

The Early Upanisads

sr f&nr ^R5TfM irtr rsTgm 1 ^fcr I cf ff^w-

^ncRTfTlt I fM%W 2 ftcf sii^gw ftcf I gr

tt tcT^rgqnrc^ f^fr ftrM 1 ftcftwiV ti^fcr 1 1 h 1 1

u ffapET stleilf^O'M srfcT^W gWcFfWgW* ftcf I # ftcTT-

'^NlrlQI^ff tcTf^T^tftW: I srgf^fcT 2 3T ST^TfgW ffcr I ^ 4t
tcf^^TRcT T ^TciloH'Hif^fcr ll?3ll

gr ff^r ^Tc5Tfef qf^r ^r^ 1 jwfrr^T^rra' 2 ffcr I cf fraw-
^TTcRTfifr tcrf^T^T^TW: I ^JTgftfrT 5TT STf^cT^W ftcT I ?T tt
T ^Tc5TlMf^r 3 ll?V|l

ST fRT^T ^TcSlft^ tT^TRgW: 2 §FT: MW 3 ^TdcT d^Tf^W ftcT I cf

ft^wrwiwpt tcrf^kT^fW: I ^nrt frtft <fr srftcrgw ffcr I gr
4f gpf fTfRT ft =tww ?T«Tcr ll?MI

gr frar^r sraifotf srftt 1 ffcr I cf fraw-

xrjici^^p'r tdi^R^TRftW: I FT^fcTftft ^T 3ff^ci^W ffcr I 5T tt
srw-rcrf wsm q^fMtrgT ir^TTt^r gspfw cfTtR - I

nun

gr fKi^r 'suei'if^t iftr 3%°fsf^rfV ffcT I cf fRr-

x]Ki"afi^rff ■^f^'MtW: I mV 3TTcHiiUicHr ^frfcPT ^leAict 3 m
3rfT|cTgw ffcr 1 gr tr fcrtwiM ijctaf grtmwrrrrafcr 1 1 ?\al 1

gr tr^r ai«r%t iffr grczrs%fV iww^i^w ffcr I cf fr^w-
^rra^tf tcff^t^ftw: I grc^gqiggr ftfcr sttcRT twrr 2 sntrfcr srr
srftcT^m ffcr I gr tr rrgfaf etqrmw ^rfcr 3 1 1 ? £ 1 1

cfcT f ^ I ei> I -H RT I cf ^NMIcl^ld^ciNg ^lrtl^l ^ ffcT I

uri'ctfdf r v ' ftcTTEr ingyifV. I gf ftwr^TMTcTfi^t^ ^ ^ 7,1 gr’r^rfftW 5
^fr cT i^rtffcT 6 I tf t ir^rt gww ^cfr ?rw t dc^4 7 gr t
tftcTw ftr i

358

Kausitaki Upanisad

4.19

"I Balaki then said: “It is that person in a shadow that I venerate.” Ajatasatru
X sLm replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as
the inseparable companion. Anyone who venerates him in this way will find a com-
panion; he will be a man who has a companion.”

i O Balaki then said: “It is that person in an echo that I venerate.” Ajatasatru
X vj replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as
life. Anyone who venerates him in this way will not lose consciousness before his
appointed time.”

M Balaki then said: “It is that person in a sound that I venerate.” Ajatasatru
replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as
death. Anyone who venerates him in this way will not die before his appointed
time.”

"1 [“ Balaki then said: “It is that person who, as one sleeps, roams about in
X dreams that I venerate.” Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t drag me into a discus-
sion about him! I venerate him only as King Yama. When anyone venerates him in
this way, this whole world submits itself to his supremacy.”

'I S' Balaki then said: “It is that person in the body that I venerate.” Ajatasatru
X U replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as
Prajapati. Anyone who venerates him in this way propagates himself through chil-
dren and livestock, fame and the luster of sacred knowledge, and the heavenly
world; he will live his full life span.”

-1 P7 Balaki then said: “It is that person in the right eye that I venerate.”
X / Ajatasatru replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate
him only as the essence ( at man ) of speech, as the essence of fire, as the essence of
light. Anyone who venerates him in this way will become the essence of all these.”

"1 O Balaki then said: “It is that person in the left eye that I venerate.” Ajatasatru
X O replied: “Don’t drag me into a discussion about him! I venerate him only as
the essence ( atman ) of truth, as the essence of lightning, as the essence of radiance.
Anyone who venerates him in this way will become the essence of all these.”

1 Q Thereupon, Balaki fell silent. “Is that all, Balaki?” asked Ajatasatru. “That’s
X A all,” replied Balaki. Ajatasatru then said to him: “In vain have you draged
me into a discussion with you by saying: ‘Let me tell you a formulation of truth
{brahman).' It is the one who is the maker of the persons you have talked about,
Balaki, whose handiwork they are, that one should seek to know.”

359

4.19

The Early Upanisads

cRT 3 dPid-llPl : yfciqqW 333Fftfcr I 3 3T3r3T3Tcr3if"'.

5rfcTcJtWT#^r ci^F^ 11 qr^rf^Tt' 12 3Fi33^33^cT 13 I ^ 5^3 c3T
frqf^rGqrrftlcr 12 I ?f 3 3[3T3fi33r yqsfM l ?ft 3 §3 ^W3*3<j 15 1 3
ff^^ww. 10 3Ft fmMct 17 I 3 3 3 f$m q^r 18 t
cRT 3 It W3T 1%fx^T 19 I FT 33 ^3 3333?r I

3 ftqrqwRTqrf; q#3 33353^33 q#3333 20 <§3

T^rqFTT^f^fcT I cRT 3 3 ^Tc^rf^f f^t" 1 I 3 ^mrnWTWZFpftw
qtcrq^RT F33Fnf^ 1%3r 22 -tft 5333T 23 qrswr
f 33T?5 ft d d qf^TcFqi^f ! qwr 2 ' 1 333OT » f^nfid'kiiqquoir: 25

26 27 28

frf 33TTfaraT~ fcPsaff^r =pfPT fW3 'ftcTFT 6i1f|"dW 3 3FJ 33
q^fcT W §3: 31? 3 333 29 T$qfcT 1 1 W I

sraiftH'Vnor t#3rr rf3 2 l 3^3 qwqfqfqfir: e^r^fcr I 3^-. qf

^flT^fcT I 3T# qf: 5T«t: I FT: qfszff^: 3 fT^F^fcT I 3 33

yfcfWRT wMc 5?T: 3=1? felt f^srfcT *tt3FTTqT3H : STPTT

qqiwr fqyf?F<53r qr^rr ^it: ^ttfr cto-. 5 I

3 itw snw qqr strict 33 3333 33 3&W: 6 I

333T igT: §W^sqtqf|cit 7 f^q^Rf qr ^3RR^c33 F^t3 5T?fT3nf
?rttFRlrqT33qqf^ 9 33 33n=qr 33 3#«T: I 3*}'cT 3 Trd H ^?T 3TT3TT-

-o

33T ^fet n 33 I cRF3 W 33 FT 33

gF3R^6f^t3 12 yw^^FTFrftr^^qr 13 qq^fcf 14 3333 ^333313
yo^Prl I

■o

3 qyqig: 3T FcT333T3 3 fcRfi" 16 313^3333 3if4T3i£J: I 3 W
fcl^tW 2 fcqF§rrM^?3 *#3 ^3RT & ^33 3Tr333rf%3c3 qfcf 19 I
33 ° rrfq- f^J3TqW3qtsqT3T 21 *#3 q" 2 ^333 ^33 333^331%-
33 F^rT 3iT3^331^t3 IR°I!

II ff3 II

II ffrT ^IMld - ^| 3 f^3 q ; II

360

Kausltaki Upanisad

4.20

Balaki then went up to him carrying firewood in his hands and said: “Let me
come to you as your pupil.” But Ajatasatru said to him: “I consider it a total reversal
of the norm for a Brahmin to become a pupil of a Ksatriya. But come, I’ll see to it
that you perceive it clearly.” Taking Balaki by the hand, he went out, and the two
went near a sleeping man. Ajatasatru greeted the man in these words: “O Soma,
great king dressed in white!” But he remained lying down. Then he prodded him
with a stick. And immediately the man got up.

Ajatasatru then asked: “Balaki, where was this person lying down just now?
Where was he just now? And from where did he come just now?” Balaki did not
know any of this. So, Ajatasatru told him: “Now, as to the questions regarding
where this person was lying down just now, and where he was just now, and where
he came from just now — there are in a person veins called Hita that extend from the
heart to the pericardium. They are as fine as a hair split a thousandfold. They con-
tain the finest fluids of orange, white, black, yellow, and red. When a person is
asleep and sees no dreams, he remains within these veins.

OO ^hen these become unified within this very breath — his speech then
ZiU merges into it together with all the names; his sight merges into it together
with all the visible appearances; his hearing merges into it together with all the
sounds; and his mind merges into it together with all the thoughts. And when he
awakens these scatter — as from a blazing fire sparks fly off in every direction, so
from this self ( atman ) the vital functions {prana) fly off to their respective stations,
and from the vital functions, the gods, and from the gods, the worlds.

“This very breath, which is the self {atman) consisting of intelligence, pene-
trates this bodily self up to the very hairs of the body, up to the very nails. Just as a
razor within a case or a termite within a termite hill, so this self consisting of intelli-
gence penetrates this bodily self up to the very hairs of the body, up to the very
nails. To this self {atman) cling these other selves {atman), as to a chieftain, his own
people. It is like this — just as a chieftain makes use of his own people, and his own
people make themselves useful to a chieftain, so this self consisting of intelligence
makes use of these other selves, and these other selves make themselves useful to
this self.

“For as long as Indra did not understand this self, the demons were prevailing
over him. But when he came to know it, he smashed the demons, conquered them,
and secured the supremacy, sovereignty, and lordship over all the gods. A man who
knows this, likewise, wipes off all evils and secures the supremacy, sovereignty,
and lordship over all beings — yes, he does, when a man knows this.”

The end of the Kausltaki Upanisad.

361

This page intentionally left blank

SIX

Kena Upanisad

The Kena Upanisad, also called the Talavakara Upanisad, belongs to the Talavakara
or the Jaiminlya branch of the Samaveda. It appears as part of the JaiminTya
Upanisad-Brahmana (4.18-21). At some point in time, it began to circulate as an
independent Upanisad and came to be called by its first word, kena (“by whom”), a
custom also seen in the case of the Isa Upanisad. The KeU falls roughly into two
parts. The first, consisting of the first two Khandas, is in verse, except for a brief
gloss at the beginning of Khanda 2, and presents brahman as essentially unknow-
able and inexpressible. The second, consisting of the final two Khandas, is in prose
and shows how the gods and their powers have proceeded from brahman, here
identified as the creator of all.

C ONTENTS

1

Brahman is beyond the senses and is the cause of their cognitive powers

2

Those who claim to know brahman do not know it

3

Brahman is the one who wins the victory for the gods

4

Tadvana : the upanisad with regard to brahman

363

ebHNfttMrl

'TcffcT McT W
SfFT: m ItfcT fST: I
crr^rqf

^T: gttofT^^r 3^1%7 II? II

rtrpt saH TR^fr rtt ^

Rxfr f mt U ^ STFTRT 5 TFT: I
xrgw^cf^£r sflrr:

?R?TTFng^i^gcrr Rtfrr IRII

=r cit =r ^r wt: I

=r f^Rfr 1 t f^ 3 n#tfr 2 ^%^%Kn?r 3 1131

strict ffftfen^rr I
ffcT ^T 1 g^TT ^ HW^INxf%t Ill'll

^NH^Rci iR diq-^sR I

cft^r $rt ft ^ffewRT IIMI

wwr =t inii^T 1 rpt 2 I

6r^r str rt f=rfe ^rfeRTRJcT I Kl I

364

KHANDA 1

By whom impelled, by whom compelled,
does the mind soar forth?

By whom enjoined does the breath,
march on as the first?

By whom is this speech impelled,
with which people speak?

And who is the god that joins
the sight and hearing?

2 That which is the hearing behind hearing,

the thinking behind thinking,
the speech behind speech,
the sight behind sight —

It is also the breathing behind breathing—-
Freed completely from these,
the wise become immortal,
when they depart from this world.

3 Sight does not reach there;

neither does thinking or speech.

We don’t know, we can’t perceive,
how one would point it out.

4 It is far different from what’s known.

And it is farther than the unknown —

so have we heard from men of old,
who have explained it all to us.

5 Which one cannot express by speech,

by which speech itself is expressed —

Learn that that alone is brahman ,
and not what they here venerate.

6 Which one cannot grasp with one’s mind,

by which, they say, the mind itself is grasped —
Learn that that alone is brahman,
and not what they here venerate.

365

1.7

The Early Upanisads

q^ffrr 1 I

rf^T §T^T ?t ^ I loll

=t ^pfrfcr 4r 9 jr^K ^cpt I

?r^r ^r w fafe 44 ikll

TRVWr- T SnfMcT 1 4 t RTW: ffaftaff I
cT^r ^r <4 f4fe 44 qR«3m«d IKII

II ffrT OT: W 1 ^: II

44 g44fcT ^TfarfV ^4 rt 4w W W^T

44f I sr^r t 44w4=r 4 ^sf^fenT 2 1 1 ? 1 1

^JW T^df g^fcT' 2 TT T 44fcT 4C XT I

4r n^;t< 44 % =t 44f4 4^ ^ I R 1 1

imrm cfFT W TRT ^ T 4^ ?T: I
srf^TRT f^TRcTT f^ffTcRf^^RcIW 1 1 ^ 1 1

^RcTR^clW f4 f^cT I

3TTc'HH I [4 ^<4 414 14 £1^1 [4'^rlS^cl JT I |V 1 1

1 4^444^ ^Tc^ntfer

4f4i3T44R]|4t Rrfer: I

366

Kena Upanisad

2.5

7 Which one cannot see with one’s sight,

by which one sees the sight itself —

Learn that that alone is brahman,
and not what they here venerate.

8 Which one cannot hear with one’s hearing,

by which hearing itself is heard —

Learn that that alone is brahman,
and not what they here venerate.

9 Which one cannot breathe through breathing,

by which breathing itself is drawn forth —
Learn that that alone is brahman,
and not what they here venerate.

KHANDA 2

“If you think ‘I know it well’— perhaps you do know ever so little the visible ap-
pearance of brahman ; there is that part of it you know and there is the part which is
among the gods. And so I think what you must do is to reflect on it, on that un-
known part of it:

2 I do not think

that I know it well;

But I know not

that I do not know.

Who of us knows that,
he does know that;

But he knows not,

that he does not know.

3 It’s envisioned by one who envisions it not;

but one who envisions it knows it not.

And those who perceive it perceive it not;

but it’s perceived by those who perceive it not.

4 When one awakens to know it,

one envisions it, for then
one gains the immortal state.

One gains power by one’s self (at man).

And by knowledge, the immortal state.

5 If in this world a man comes to know it,

to him belongs the real.

367

2.5

The Early Upanisads

NRm - 2 dkr:

JTcWTl^T^rrr ddlN INI

II ffcT %rf^T: II

W w ^mfr I ddT f ^pfr 3Td#qdT I d

i^^lddld^dld fNdiRddd^dld dR^ld INI

cr^tf^T# I MW d dfg^frjd I rf^sprFTcf 1 ?Tf#rfcT INI
ctsfyHsId^ldcK t>dfe*U*flfe nWdfcl$lfafcr I cNfcf INI
cr^f^r 1 | cTRw^c^?frN I srf^rsft 2 dddFfN 'si 41 ^rrcdKT dr
3Tiwftffr ini

crfefecffti '4Wftfcr I 3pflf h# eNr df^d gf£r°diftfcr INI
che# f^jrtcT^tfcT I 'cf^Nmr d^dtd 1 cr>r st?w dd[d l d
dd dd NdfcT N^N fNlgJ Nd^N idl'd I N I

dd arg^g^^d r ;>fNi r fi f^td^rfirfcr I differ INI
dd^ddd* I dd^ddddffotftfcT I Brrgefr dWddfrdfsf 41 -Ml dft W df
dlddilfcl INI

cNT-c.'ii Rp- #fffcrfcr I arftf dfd^td 1 di^r glNdiftlcr I Kll
d# gd i^Nddiddtfcr I dgq^did d^d l dd ddidddiN I d
cTcT Rd ftdf^ 1 Nddd NfTRT I K o 1 1

d^dNdfsN I'-nR RENdd^rNcT I dNcf I dd^dddd I

■o ^

dFnlxRKt 2 linn

d df^rimWRt f^dddlddld df 5fmdTdTddt fddcfrd I df dTdfd

fffNdd^ffrffr ll?N

II ^frT II

d^N* dldPd dfdff dT Nltd^ ?f^r 2 I ddt fd ffrdfddTT

dftfeT 1 1 ? 1 1

rfWfdT Nt ^dT dfN'dRdl^NdMcNd'l^FN: | ^ ^NRN
qdJ^dT iffddTdRT fNdddd dp) id I \R 1 1

368

Kena Upanisad

4.2

If in this world a man does not know it,
great is his destruction.

Discerning it among each and every being,
the wise become immortal,
when they depart from this world.

KHANDA 3

Brahman won the victory for the gods. Although it was won by brahman, the gods
were jubilant at the victory, telling themselves: “Ours alone is this victory! Ours
alone is this greatness!”

2 Brahman read their minds and made itself visible to them. But they did not
recognize it, as they wondered, “What is this strange apparition?”

3 So they told Fire, “Jatavedas, find out what this strange apparition is.” He
said, “Very well,” 4 and scurried to it. It asked him: “Who are you?” And he replied:
“I? Why, I am Fire! I am Jatavedas!”

5 “I see! And what sort of power do you have?”

“I can burn up this whole world, yes, everything on earth!”

6 So it placed a blade of grass in front of him and said, “Burn this.” He went at
it at full speed but could not burn it.

He returned forthwith and said: “I wasn’t able to find out what this strange ap-
parition is.” 7 Then they told Wind, “Wind, find out what this strange apparition is.”
He said, "Very well,” 8 and scurried to it. It asked him: “Who are you?” And he re-
plied: “I? Why, I am Wind! I am Matarisvan!”

9 “I see! And what sort of power do you have?”

“I can carry away this whole world, yes, everything on earth!”

l°So it placed a blade of grass in front of him and said, “Carry this away.” He
went at it at full speed but could not carry it away.

He returned forthwith and said: “I wasn’t able to find out what this strange ap-
parition is.” 11 Then they told Indra, “Maghavan, find out what this strange appari-
tion is.” He said, "Very well,” and scurried to it. But it vanished from his sight.

12 Then, at that very spot in the sky, he came across a woman of great beauty,
Uma, the daughter of Himavat. He asked her: “What was that strange apparition?”

KHANDA 4

“Brahman," she replied. “You are jubilant here at the victory won by brahman .”
Then Indra immediately realized that it was brahman.

2 That is why these gods, namely Fire, Wind, and Indra, somehow surpass the
other gods, for they came into close contact with it.

369

Kena Upanisad

4.9

3 And that is why Indra somehow surpasses the other gods, for he both came
into close contact with it and was the first to recognize it as brahman.

4 Here is its rule of substitution: the cry “Ah!” when lightning has flashed, the
cry “Ah!” when it made them blink — such it is with respect to the divine sphere.
5 And with respect to the body ( atman ) — when something here comes to the mind
somehow and through it the imagination suddenly recollects something.

6 Now, its name is Tadvana, and it should be venerated as Tadvana. When
someone knows it as such, all beings long for him.

7 [Student: ] “Sir, teach me the hidden connection (upanisad).”

[Teacher:] “You have been taught the hidden connection ( upanisad ) —

indeed, we have taught you the hidden connection ( upanisad ) relating to brahman
itself. 8 Of this hidden connection ( upanisad ) — austerity, self-control, and rites are
the foundation, the Vedas are all the limbs, and truth is the abode.”

9 When someone comes to know this hidden connection ( upanisad ) in this way,
he undoubtedly wipes out evil and becomes firmly established in the heavenly
world that is endless and invincible.

The end of the Kena Upanisad.

371

SEVEN

Katha Upanisad

The Katha (also called Kathaka) Upanisad belongs at least formally to the Kathaka
school of the Black Yajurveda. It is clear, however, that this Upanisad is a late work
and did not form an integral part of the Brahmana of that school. Its relationship to
that school, however, is established by the episode of Naciketas and Death (see KU
1. 1-4 n.). This episode (together with other sections dealing with the establishment
of various ritual fires), in all likelihood, was originally part of the Kathaka
Brahmana, although it is now found in the Taittirlya Brahmana (3.11.8.1-6) and not
in the Kathaka (for a discussion, see Witzel 1977).

In some manuscripts the KaU is divided into two sections, the first comprising
the first three Vallls and the second, the last three. The text as we have it clearly
does not form a coherent and unified whole. The first two Vallls, containing the
dialogue between Naciketas and Yama, provide the old context of the Upanisad,
which seeks to give an Upanisadic twist to the three wishes of Naciketas. The last
Vallls, especially 4-6 with the repetitive refrain “So, indeed, is that,” are probably
an appendix superimposed on that examination of the three wishes. Witzel (1977)
has shown that the current KaU was at first probably the second part of a larger
Upanisad of the Kathakas, an Upanisad that had the Katha-Slksa-Upanisad (see
Witzel 1979 and my introduction to the TU) as its first part.

The KaU is a challenging text for any translator. It contains several difficult and
unique terms whose meanings are far from clear; its thought is often convoluted and
its expressions curt and elliptic; and it has been subject to textual corruptions. Many
scholars have attempted to eliminate accretions and to restore the “original” text of
the KaU (e.g., Weller 1953); the deep disagreements among scholars as to which
verses are later interpolations point to the difficulties inherent in such reconstruc-
tions, which are often tainted by the linguistic and philosophical biases of each
scholar.

372

Katha Upanisad

C ONTENTS

1

Encounter between Naciketas and Death

9-19 Death grants Naciketas three wishes

20-29 The third wish of Naciketas: condition after death

2

1-1 1 Transient joys are to be abandoned
12-25 Discourse on the self
3

The path of a wise man: curbing of the senses

4-6

Discourse on the self and brahman

373

%

I cTFT W Hp^dl' TW gpr 3TFT 1 1? 1 1
^HK Wt aj^TT^ %FTF1T§ sratf^T I FtSiFFcT i R 1 1

iftdl^cbi 0i*vjriT)n gJERW I

3FRT 1 FFT cT c5^WRT 2 J^stcT cTT ^cf 3 1 1 3 II

ff flFTF f^cft clef 1 cf^ FT ^FftfcT I ^JeftW I cf ftFFT
eFT ^TJftfrT ||V||

srgFr^rfV smt dg-rir^ wpt: 2 I

f$> f^qRFRF WW ^f^ffeT 3 11^11

sgir^T w gf yfriM^r I

FFTf^TF Fc^: T^Tet gT: 1 I Kll

twRT: yl^ifcr 3TfM^ra%rwr Jjfir I

dt^dl’ $llPd c£<fPd f‘d^ddla c b^ 1 1 ^9 1 1

3TT5TT5Tcft^T ddd^ <^dl F

dHUd^-'d'dfrt sll^uD lldll

feral" <'i414adirt(l^ ir

3Fra^^dfrif^4dW:‘ I

374

VALLI 1

Usan, the son of Vajasravas, once gave away all his possessions. He had a son
named Naciketas. 2 Young as he was, faith took hold of him while the cows pre-
sented as sacrificial gifts were being led away, and he reflected:

3 “They’ve drunk all their water, eaten all their fodder,

They have been milked dry, they are totally barren —

‘Joyless’ are those worlds called,
to which a man goes
who gives them as gifts.”

4 So he asked his father: “Father, to whom will you give me?” He repeated it
for a second time, and again for a third time. His father yelled at him: “I’ll give you
to Death!”

[naciketas reflects.] 5 1 go as the very first of many.

I go as the middlemost of many.

What’s it that Yama must do.

That he will do with me today?

[A voice] 6 Look ahead! See how they have gone,

those who have gone before us!

Look back! So will they go,
those who will come after us.

A mortal man ripens like grain,

And like grain he is bom again.

7 A Brahmin guest enters a house

as the fire in all men.

Bring water, O Vaivasvata,
that is how they appease him.

8 Hopes and expectations, fellowship and goodwill,

Children and livestock, rites and gifts —

all these a Brahmin wrests from the foolish man,
in whose house he resides without any food.

[death] 9 Three nights, O Brahmin, you stayed in my house,

a guest worthy of homage, without any food;

Three wishes, therefore, deign to make in return.

375

1.9

The Early Upanisads

TWtsgj itsgj

-#cTCPfuiW I Kll

3TRT?TfW: g^FTT W

iflTR-^ficr^ *nfV gdfr l

gdg w'df sm - dt 1 1? 0 II

W T^^rfr 5RftcT

«Pl ^Te5f^TT^fMc?rg 1 ^: 1 I
gif ttR: 5iftcrr fldd-gg

Fsrf i^cggi^gwr 3 M U 1 1

FPf c5t^ T m f^xHlftd

T cT^T Kr dW* f^irfcT I
cfKdf

^McFft *fK?r MHH

sr r^cfft gdfr

# l wg I

^-I'ic-ilcM 3njcfcf ' 1T5RT

g?r?{ iM^rr linn

sr ^ spftfrr df *r KKKr

ld J f dfil hK^>c 1: 3WFFT I
3R=xTc5toF#TT8Tt SffdW

Mk c^Kr 1 ftftdr ginrw ii?yii

eilc^iKHfy dddM cR^f

ITT' ^cfd d fdlM' W dT I

it xnff ?rf5n?M ^ ^ dl Thg

siwr g^w 1 g 1 ^: 1 1 ?Kl I

cfflslcfidflddiurr 1 d^loHI

sr: cfffKT ^RT: I

?i% w

gff gfFr H?^M

K|U| iK^dfKlKRrM

f^%dT^r I

376

Katha Upanisad

1.17

[NACIKETAS]

[DEATH]

[NACIKETAS]

[DEATH]

[NARRATOR]

[DEATH]

So homage to you, O Brahmin!

And may I fare well!

10 That with his temper cooled, his anger subdued,

Gautama, O Death, be to me well-disposed.

That he greet me with joy, when by you I’m dismissed —
this is the first of my three wishes.

1 1 He’ 11 be affable in the future, just as before;

Auddalaka Aruni, I have dismissed you.

He’ll have restful nights, his anger subdued,
seeing you released from the jaws of Death.

12 In the world of heaven there is no fear;

there one has no fear of old age or you.

Transcending both these — both hunger and thirst,
beyond all sorrows, one rejoices in heaven.

13 You, O Death, are studying,

the fire-altar that leads to heaven;

Explain that to me, a man who has faith;

People who are in heaven enjoy the immortal state —

It is this I choose with my second wish.

14 1 shall explain to you —

and heed this teaching of mine,

O Naciketas, you who understand —
the fire-altar that leads to heaven,
to the attainment of an endless world,
and is its very foundation.

Know that it lies hidden.

In the cave of the heart.

15 He described to him that fire-altar —

the beginning of the world —

What type the bricks, how many; and how they are to be laid;

and he repeated it exactly as described.

Delighted at him, then. Death said to him again;

16 Well-pleased, the large-hearted one said to him:

Here I grant you another wish today.

This fire-altar will bear your very name.

Take also this glittering disk of gold.

17 This is a three-Naciketa man —

Uniting with the three, performing the triple rite,
he crosses over birth and death.

Perceiving the brahman that is being born,
as the god who is to be adored,

377

1.17

The Early Upanisads

RRccfl

f^R^Pff 5irf^Tr2RT^fcT 1 1 ?V»| I
f^lf¥kd^q^df£f^'l 1

q - Rq 2 htI^cR I

q~ ^cgwrgrcT: mr?r

5Tf^TfcRt dl'^cl w4ei]^> | ] \£ \ \

^ ^sfMf^T: RRff 1

ili^uflm 2 &f!4*! ’ q"H I
w# clt^ 4 5t^rf^T 5FTTW

gcM 5 qr =rf%^fr ^fN - 1 1 1 1

£rt ^ fcrf^f^W W-T^C

o

^hR; 1 Trarr^ffirf ^ I

cKl^llR ^^[cftir: 3 I Roll
RRiRfcdd TCT
T % gt^R^T 1 EPt: I
SRT eft hPRR ftffN -

ht %Rtc?fRfcr m 2 I R? 1 1
<R<-hR R^i^frdd Rort

R w q?r gt^Fnw I
TxfiT rtm RT^RTT T waft

RRT =k^W| RcRT cfiftcT IRRI
5RTT2^T: ^rRTFf4Rcr

I

^Mf<ra?R f#*r

R?T W Ref 5RR qidfR^sfR” 1 IRRI
U^WT qiV TRT^ cTt

cpfRq Rxi RK'jflRqoi q - I
wr^ff H^d-HqRf^r

child Hi RT cHHdM cfRR I RV I I

Ti r mm 5e*Rr qR^W

^Tq'i'cbl'HP'S^qrT: ST^qR* I
RT MT: ^TRT: 1 fT^Tqt

T f^FT cRfFftqT HhR: I

378

Katha Upanisad

1.25

[NACIKETAS]

[DEATH]

[NACIKETAS]

[DEATH]

recognizing this disk of gold to be that,
he attains unending peace.

18 This is a three-Naciketa man — -

Knowing these three, and, with that knowledge.
Piling the altar of Naciketas,

he shoves aside the fetters of death before him,
passes beyond sorrow,
and rejoices in heaven.

19 This, Naciketas, is your fire that leads to heaven,

which you chose with your second wish.
People will proclaim this your very own fire.
Choose your third wish, O Naciketas.

20 There is this doubt about a man who is dead.

“He exists,” say some, others, “He exists not.”

1 want to know this, so please teach me.

This is the third of my three wishes.

21 As to this even the gods of old had doubts,

for it’s hard to understand, it’s a subtle doctrine.
Make, Naciketas, another wish.

Do not press me! Release me from this.

22 As to this, we’re told, even the gods had doubts;

and you say, O Death, it’s hard to understand.

But another like you I can’t find to explain it;
and there’s no other wish that is equal to it.

23 Choose sons and grandsons who’d live a hundred years!
Plenty of livestock and elephants, horses and gold!
Choose as your domain a wide expanse of earth!

And you yourself live as many autumns as you wish!

24 And if you would think this is an equal wish —

You may choose wealth together with a long life;
Achieve prominence, Naciketas, in this wide world;

And I will make you enjoy your desires at will,

25 You may ask freely for all those desires,

hard to obtain in this mortal world;

Look at these lovely girls, with chariots and lutes,
girls of this sort are unobtainable by men —

379

1.25

The Early Upanisads

anfSpfermftr: 2 qfter

pf^d] w IRkII

5 9RnPT '■Hc4'd-I 'M^'xl^cld
fl^FTFTT pRf: I

3rf^ *T# aflRdJpdpR

ci% cir^iPdcr ^dpFlcl I R^l I

=r f^fPr ?rWNt TFnsqt

o

OTWf f^rFKfW 1 I
3TPJ *T PT°ffcr: Ef l TW I R*9ll
4M-Hc4: ^Er:W. 2 ST^TH^T I

ariM^r sftftfr ^r iRtrr ir^ii
f¥¥^rf^r ^fr
■^rmFT 1 TTffcT gft" PKTcT I

qts^ ertr

PPP" cTFTTPrf^^cTT ^frfr IR^II

II ^fcT 5PPRT ^ II

ap^r^fT SRJfck' 1

cT 2 ^ PIP# W fMtcf: I

■o

cPTt: 3 ^T 3TT^FPPT PPT PpfcT 4
^RTcTSSTTST U $Pft cpftcT 1 1 $ 1 1

^pra - 'ftra -

cfr 1 ppflw 2 RRdRb' efte I

%fr ft ef^ftr srwr fitter

Mt ip^r dM^R 4 fcftfr irii

e - cp ^Tii^fwrra - pppr
arf^wppf^^iwi^: I
^cff gff ^rpptftwnf

PW ip^lf^T 3 J|W: I R 1 1

380

Katha Upanisad

2.3

[NACIKETAS]

[DEATH]

I’ll give them to you; you’ll have them wait on you;
but about death don’t ask me, Naciketas.

26 Since the passing days of a mortal, O Death,

sap here the energy of all the senses;

And even a full life is but a trifle;

so keep your horses, your songs and dances!

27 With wealth you cannot make a man content;

Will we get to keep wealth, when we have seen you?
And we get to live only as long as you will allow!

So, this alone is the wish that I’d like to choose.

28 What mortal man with insight,
who has met those that do not die or grow old,
himself growing old in this wretched and lowly place,
looking at its beauties, its pleasures and joys,
would delight in a long life?

29 The point on which they have great doubts —
what happens at that great transit —
tell me that, O Death!

This is my wish, probing the mystery deep.

Naciketas wishes for nothing
other than that.

VALLl 2

The good is one thing, the gratifying is quite another;
their goals are different, both bind a man.

Good things await him who picks the good;

by choosing the gratifying, one misses one’s goal.

2 Both the good and the gratifying
present themselves to a man;

The wise assess them, note their difference;
and choose the good over the gratifying;

But the fool chooses the gratifying
rather than what is beneficial.

3 You have looked at and rejected, Naciketas,

things people desire, lovely and lovely to look at;

This disk of gold, where many a man founders,
you have not accepted as a thing of wealth.

381

2.4

The Early Upanisads

cfafafa tfarfafa ffasfafr

arffairr err ^ fatter ^raf I
ffasnfattfarfa fatfacifa *rfa 2

=r r^rr cm^rr ^nttsctgw 3 I fall

srfaWFITfRfa cTvjcHI:

wfafakr: fa^ictr^rtTFiT: 1 I

^KFTFrr: fafafafar wsi

SFfafacT fafa*THT eprrai: I fall

•r rrmw: facnrrfcr errfa
5TRT?Rr farTfafaT I
«rfa fafafar enffar qr facr tit faf

far: qerfawwr fa I fall

• 0*0 '

wrwffa fagffafaf =r w & t :

^cRfasffa ^far fa =r faf : I
srrsafaf <rw ^icfas^?r cwt 3

o

srrejfar frrerr ^?ie5Rfare: 4 I fall
■r fafaiicfaur factr tTTT

gfafafar «rfEir ffawnr: I
farRTsr 1 Hiffar 2

3r fat q ifaj d'fam'grm m rar Ifall
farr cfaror facRjqfarr 1

fa m ; fa fa -1 H 1-4 fa *? I

efa rcprrr: rrrerfafarfacfifa

far wfafafarr: srw I fa 1 1
'jTFn T e[fa fa^ifaffaerffaefa

t wrfa: rrFerfa ffa srfa era - I

■o o N

eTcfa W Tlffafarrftcfasffafa

^fafarfafafa. 1 rnaenfafar ffaqfa 1 1 ? ° 1 1

srrtfa 1 srerar: fafarw

9t,fa)^^RTTq^r 2 CfKTf |

rfafaTiT^eTifa 3 fafapsst |^r‘‘

fafar fafafafafarererfafa: 7 1 1 H 1 1

382

Katha Upanisad

2.11

[NACIKETAS]

[DEATH]

4 Far apart and widely different are these two:

ignorance and what’s known as knowledge.

I take Naciketas as one yearning for knowledge;
the many desires do not confound you.

5 Wallowing in ignorance, but calling themselves wise,
Thinking themselves learned, the fools go around,

staggering about like a group of blind men,
led by a man who is himself blind.

6 This transit lies hidden from a careless fool,

who is deluded by the delusion of wealth.

Thinking “This is the world; there is no other,”
he falls into my power again and again.

7 Many do not get to hear of that transit;

and even when they hear,
many don’t comprehend it.

Rare is the man who teaches it,
lucky is the man who grasps it;

Rare is the man who knows it,
lucky is the man who’s taught it.

8 Though one may think a lot, it is difficult to grasp,

when it is taught by an inferior man.

Yet one cannot gain access to it,
unless someone else teaches it.

For it is smaller than the size of an atom,
a thing beyond the realm of reason.

9 One can’t grasp this notion by argumentation;

Yet it’s easy to grasp when taught by another.

You’re truly steadfast, dear boy,
you have grasped it!

Would that we have, Naciketas,
one like you to question us!

10 What you call a treasure, I know to be transient;

for by fleeting things one cannot gain the perennial.
Therefore I’ve built the fire-altar of Naciketas,
and by things eternal I have gained the eternal.

11 Satisfying desires is the foundation of the world;
Uninterrupted rites bring ultimate security;

Great and widespread praise is the foundation —

these you have seen, wise Naciketas,
and having seen, firmly rejected.

383

2.12

The Early Upanisads

ct f£$T

3^d ^t-6 ^WJT I

sft^r ^rfcf iinn

° 1

sr irrgcT •'•'I'idpt f^r

f%cf 'u^rtTcm jt^ 2 1 1 n 1 1

3RTW SR^WRPR^ 1 3RTWTR^cfT^crRX I
wm ^cn^r 2 vr<zn^r ?TWi^f% ?r^r 1 1 ?v| 1

crqff^r nsffrr ^ zrggfcr 1 I
irf^EgRit <Pd

cf# qf wftfir II

3i ?1 fn c^l cl <r1^ 1 1 ?Kll

TTcf^Wt sT^T q^g^T^RT qW I
Hd,sSq'?,it fnw % cfPT cTcf 1 1 ?^l I

^cKI'^-t ^^dglc-JMT qw I

fnw ^ffafr 1 1 ?vai i

t ^srrafr f^r err

dw ^d%?r wxw cpf^r 1

o c\ %

3T3fr f^TRT: 5TTWt5?T JRRTt

T ^TcT s^HI^I Slftt ll?<ill

rjd I "H^cl IfcJ ^PT^^RTrT i^cPT I

^ifr ?fr t f^rpftcfr qw =r ^ict H^li

384

Katha Upanisad

2.19

12 The primeval one who is hard to perceive,

wrapped in mystery, hidden in the cave,
residing within the impenetrable depth —

Regarding him as god, an insight
gained by inner contemplation,
both sorrow and joy the wise abandon.

13 When a mortal has heard it, understood it;

when he has drawn it out,

and grasped this subtle point of doctrine;

He rejoices, for he has found

something in which he could rejoice.

To him I consider my house
to be open, Naciketas.

[naciketas?] 14 Tell me what you see as — -

Different from the right doctrine and from the wrong;
Different from what’s done here and what’s left undone;
Different from what has been and what’s yet to be.

[death?] 15 The word that all the Vedas disclose;

The word that all austerities proclaim;

Seeking which people live student lives;

That word now I will tell you in brief —

ItisOM!

16 For this alone is the syllable that’s brahmanl
For this alone is the syllable that’s supreme!

When, indeed, one knows this syllable,

he obtains his every wish.

17 This is the support that’s best!

This is the support supreme!

And when one knows this support,
he rejoices in brahman’s world.

[death] 18 The wise one —

he is not born, he does not die;
he has not come from anywhere;
he has not become anyone.

He is unborn and eternal, primeval and everlasting.

And he is not killed, when the body is killed.

[The dialogue between Naciketas and Death appears to end here.]

19 If the killer thinks that he kills;

If the killed thinks that he is killed;

Both of them fail to understand.

He neither kills, nor is he killed.

385

2.20

The Early Upanisads

3nrfTTW 5RTtffftcTT JFRW I

cFT^: 41d^n=bl

mgTTdT^IRQdHRIrJR": 1 I l^o 1 1

3fRfrrr gr 5RTRt zrrfcT eirr: I
WRt JT7RT r fTT^RlffcT IR?II

1 sFR^r^f^Tfnr I
f^TRRRT MT ?fffT T 5TRrfcT 1 1^1 1

dTW?RT FI^FR" eS'wfr

=T %RT T ^TF I
^Rltr fajcT fTT o5^R[

cR% 3F1W f^RcT 2 cFT IR^II

dTfcRcfr l^ftd'MT^ir-rit RdRlftcT: I
^trtrhhT ^ usiH-i-Miy^rd iRvil

o %

5RCT sT^r ^ XT ^ W 3fnRT: 1 I

W ?W ^ WW W. IRHII

II ^frT ilrfld I ^ II

dtcf fad-rfl ^jpcTRT rtl^>

3ff Rf^€r rrt to# I

Bl'-O.rRl cRprl

tortt# % ^ OnR^di: I R 1 1

386

Katha Upanisad

3.1

20 Finer than the finest, larger than the largest,

is the self ( atinan ) that lies here hidden
in the heart of a living being.

Without desires and free from sorrow,
a man perceives by the creator’s grace
the grandeur of the self.

21 Sitting down, he roams afar.

Lying down, he goes everywhere.

The god ceaselessly exulting —

Who, besides me, is able to know?

22 When he perceives this immense, all-pervading self,
as bodiless within bodies,

as stable within unstable beings —

A wise man ceases to grieve.

23 This self cannot be grasped,

by teachings or by intelligence,
or even by great learning.

Only the man he chooses can grasp him,
whose body this self chooses as his own.

24 Not a man who has not quit his evil ways;

Nor a man who is not calm or composed;

Nor even a man who is without a tranquil mind;
Could ever secure it by his mere wit.

25 For whom the Brahmin and the Ksatriya
are both like a dish of boiled rice;

and death is like the sprinkled sauce;

Who truly knows where he is?

VALLI 3

Knowers of brahman, men with five fires,
and with the three fire-altars of Naciketas,
They call these two “Shadow” and “Light,”
the two who have entered —

the one into the cave of the heart,
the other into the highest region beyond,
both drinking the truth

in the world of rites rightly performed.

387

3.2

The Early Upanisads

*n fftt I

3 TFT fcTcMcrf qrt dlf^?f FTTik 1 1 ^ 1 1

3FTTT T^FT 5T#t TFF cf I

o

fft <T FRf^T TFT: ^JsFlci 1 1 3 1 1

aHctf^FTTpr l|V||

RF^f^fJFTFF^'FlJ^T W FTT I

f^TOT ^Sf FFt: IlHlI

TFJ ft^McfFFgfcf 1 3%R" FTFT FF I
cR^f^nf^i cr?q#r fftt w frtT: IKII

T F dTdTFratfcT #FTF ^TTf^r^fcT I Ml

TFJ f^fTRFFFFfcT 1 TFFRF': FF Sp^T- I
F F dfcTFTWtfcr FFn^TT T ^TTFH Hill

° Cs

f^TRFRfM^ W:S¥pW: I

FtSSFT: FTTTCfrfcT dfs^f)": FF FF I K 1 1

ff^rwr: ft iFrf 3 t^?fst f ft: I
Frarg -1 FT §fef^FcFT FfPF 1 1 ? 0 1 1

Fd : Fd^Fd°MTbi<rM<>N : FT: I

<MI?T FT f%j%FT FTW FT FT TfcT: 1 1 ? ? 1 1

•o

388

Katha Upanisad

3.11

2 May we master the fire-altar of Naciketas,

a dike

for those who have sacrificed;
the imperishable, the highest brahman,
the farther shore

for those who wish to cross the danger.

3 Know the self as a rider in a chariot,

and the body, as simply the chariot.

Know the intellect as the charioteer,
and the mind, as simply the reins.

4 The senses, they say, are the horses,

and sense objects are the paths around them;

He who is linked to the body ( atman ), senses, and mind,
the wise proclaim as the one who enjoys.

5 When a man lacks understanding,

and his mind is never controlled;

His senses do not obey him,
as bad horses, a charioteer.

6 But when a man has understanding,

and his mind is ever controlled;

His senses do obey him,

as good horses, a charioteer.

7 When a man lacks understanding,

is unmindful and always impure;

He does not reach that final step,
but gets on the round of rebirth.

8 But when a man has understanding,

is mindful and always pure;

He does reach that final step,

from which he is not reborn again.

9 When a man’s mind is his reins,

intellect, his charioteer;

He reaches the end of the road,
that highest step of Visnu.

10 Higher than the senses are their objects;

Higher than sense objects is the mind;

Higher than the mind is the intellect;

Higher than the intellect is the immense self;

11 Higher than the immense self is the unmanifest;

Higher than the unmanifest is the person;

389

3.11

The Early Upanisads

or vM otot pi$OTT t T?T 5Tcr I

* -o c\ o c\

1 1 ?^ll

TT^TfOTt 5HloHPl I

ffH'HIrHpf -H ^ fcf Pl-M^d rRT^^Rf OTOTpT 1 1

'dRl^bcf ^fUTcT

TRF W^IM I

ipOT ?JRT fPf^RTT U'OTj'T

gtf TTOTOTOT^OT^PcT ll?VM

3ROTOTFR?WOTOTT

otttot frOTOTOTTOT m l

•\

3OTOTOTT TTfcT’- TT m

O

POTpot cr^rg^TcSfg^T^ 1 1 n II

lll^WFT pptOT OTTTcFOT I

3w f^rr xr £rm4t 9f§r^' h {\ u ?\ I mi I

*r p tot pi prarrf^ I

TTcf: OT cf^FFOTTT afOTTcT 1

d^MOTII'M OT'Hd ffcT ll?^9l!

ll ^frT gcfrrr n

OTifPr otPt OTjTcOTjfpr

OTRTcqW T^tcT TRTOTOTT I
Ti^T: TOTTTOTR%^

3T I pT ^ ^ < p r=l \h -<*<H 1 1? 1 1

TOTT: ^IHHH'Mpd Tlc5OT

•O *S

^ pMf^T PfOTTOT trot I

W sftTT OTJcTOT PlRc=ll

OTOTOTTfferT T otPotT IRII

vTJ O

390

Katha Upanisad

4.2

Higher than the person there’s nothing at all.

That is the goal, that’s the highest state.

12 Hidden in all the beings,

this self is not visibly displayed.

Yet, people of keen vision see him,
with eminent and sharp minds.

13 A wise man should curb his speech and mind,

control them within the intelligent self;

He should control intelligence within the immense self,
and the latter, within the tranquil self.

14 Arise! Awake! Pay attention,

when you’ve obtained your wishes!

A razor’s sharp edge is hard to cross —

that, poets say, is the difficulty of the path.

15 It has no sound or touch,

no appearance, taste, or smell;

It is without beginning or end,
undecaying and eternal;

When a man perceives it,

fixed and beyond the immense,

He is freed from the jaws of death.

16 The wise man who hears or tells
the tale of Naciketas,

an ancient tale told by Death,
will rejoice in brahman’s world.

17 If a man, pure and devout, proclaims this great secret
in a gathering of Brahmins,

or during a meal for the dead,
it will lead him to eternal life!

VALLl 4

The Self-existent One pierced the apertures outward,
therefore, one looks out, and not into oneself.

A certain wise man in search of immortality,
turned his sight inward and saw the self within.

2 Fools pursue outward desires,

and enter the trap of death spread wide.

But the wise know what constitutes the immortal,
and in unstable things here do not seek the stable.

391

4.3

The Early Upanisads

W %^TFT I

f^STR ifcf Rraq ^RRl^ri 1 1

t^fcRT 2 INI

TO t TOrRTOT N# 1 ^HlHM^feT I

•o

Rnra f^nraiK w efRr r 5fraRr I |v 1 1

w rat w? ^ arrarat ^TO^TTOT I
f?ITT q?nTTO3T T cfcfr I!

TT^t era INI

ra q# ctwt TOnr^r: 1 q^rararar I

C\ C\

3ff fcTTOT 2 4t ^MlW 3 1 1

era I K 1 1

W qFPT ^rafcT 1 3lf^1cltWe1Wifl 2 I
pt qRrra fefroff 3 ra ^fMrora 1 1

q,eil ?ra I Iv9 1 1

3Rratf^i%cft raef^ra

rat g?rat qfMtftn I
R4R=i f^rafr raT^jrat^rra
^R^fR^H'RRrdtr: 1 II

Nft rar INI

ReRjRfeT ^41 3Tra RT ^ R^feT I
cf ^r: sf srWerrraf rararfer ra^r 1 1

Nff ara INI

raNf eNpr qqw cNNet l

jjrafr: ra ^raqrfer q w raNr qraRr 1 1 ? 0

392

Katha Upanisacl

4.10

3 Appearance and taste, smell and sounds,

touches and sexual acts —

That by which one experiences these,
by the same one understands —
what then is here left behind?

So, indeed, is that!

4 That by which one perceives both

the states of sleep and of being awake;
Knowing that it’s the immense, all-pervading self,
a wise man does not grieve.

5 When a man perceives close at hand

this living, honey-eating self,

The lord of what was and what will be —
it does not seek to hide from him.

So, indeed, is that!

6 He who was born before heat,

who before the waters was born,
who has seen through living beings —

Entering the cave of the heart,

[one sees] him abiding there.

So, indeed, is that!

7 She who comes into being with breath,

Aditi, who embodies divinity,
who was born through living beings —
Entering the cave of the heart,

[one sees] her abiding there.

So, indeed, is that!

8 Jatavedas is hidden within the two fire-drills,

fostered, as a fetus by women with child;

With offering should men as they awake,
worship the fire each and every day.

So, indeed, is that!

9 From which the sun rises,

and into which it sets;

In it are fixed all the gods;

beyond it no one can ever pass.

So, indeed, is that!

10 Whatever is down here, the same is over there;

and what is over there is replicated down here.
From death to death he goes, who sees
here any kind of diversity.

393

4.11

The Early Upanisads

FFrrfer f^Fr I

W ^ Wcf FT^TfcT II? ? II

3Tfwnw: gwr irsr 3no>#r fMcr I
^rsiFr t cicfr f%jFT?r II

I^ltcFT ll?^ll

3TfWTFT: gWT ^frfcffe' Sf^W: 1 I
§5TrT ¥r?TT[oEr^r t^Tgr wz w 2 II

cRT ll?3ll

gif- ( t4% I

f^jwfrr II ?v| |

JFfr^- ^ ^Trrf^rrF crr^ sraf^r 1 I
^ g^rwRcr snwr *ra% ll?MI

H ^r ^pff n

3^^W^T5|WWtcRr: I
igW T $frwfcT fojjaicr 1 1

fTcf 1 1 ? 1 1

fF:

artcrr I

Sf^TT j FM I

394

siR^ir w ffcT 1 1^ 1 1

Katha Upanisad

5.2

* 1 With your mind alone you must understand it —
there is here no diversity at all!

From death to death he goes, who sees
here any kind of diversity.

12 A person the size of a thumb

resides within the body (atman)\

The lord of what was and what will be —
from him he does not hide himself.

So, indeed, is that!

13 The person the size of a thumb

is like a fire free of smoke;

The lord of what was and what will be;
the same today and tomorrow.

So, indeed, is that!

14 As the rain that falls on rugged terrain,

runs hither and thither along the mountain slopes;
So a man who regards the laws as distinct,
runs hither and thither after those very laws.

15 As pure water poured into pure water

becomes the very same;

So does the self of a discerning sage
become, O Gautama.

VALLI 5

The unborn one, free of crooked thoughts,
has a fort with eleven gates;

One who attends to it will not grieve,
but, freed from it, he will be set free.

So, indeed, is that!

2 The goose seated in the light, the Vasu seated in the sky;
The Hotr seated at the altar, the guest seated in the house;
Seated in men, seated in the wide expanse.

Seated in the truth, seated in heaven;

Born from water, born from cows.

Born from the truth, born from rocks;

The great truth!

395

5.3

The Early Upanisads

asef snf y^Jiwfcr I

W% ^3W?r I Mil

3p£T 5Tfte ? TFT‘ ^f^T: I

qf^rw-M II

i^t ?Tcf 11*11

=T 5tMt TTCFPr PpP f 'jfl'ctfrl 5RPT I
fcT^T cf 5 fk% IIM

£PT cT ft 1 JMWft" JfT sffT 'FRTrTW I
w ^r jrdt rtw 3TTofrr ppfcr ^ftcnr I Ml I

5Tfkc^nr ^r: I

PPFFnf PPPSTcnT I Ml I

O O -ON

£T ^ ;j TPTf^ 2 fPPt ftPfaW:

cT^cT |[17 sf^T d^Tfcfg^- I
cii^fgtw: farm pf clj •TTc^fcT 1 1

ITdf cTcf I Ml I

srfMtcpr ppt srf^Mr

o

RfcT^tr w 1

C\

IT^PW P^^PTOrfTT

PfcT^fr IKII

ppp^cpr ppt

-o o

mpt qRrMt 1

^P^cPTT 'Ff^^cll'vKlc'HI'

qf^TT ll?o|l

gpf PPT p 4 c 5T^FT P?gT

T 1 I

396

Katha Upanisad

5.11

3 The out-breath he conducts upward,

the in-breath he drives backward;

All the gods worship him,

the Dwarf seated in the middle.

4 When this embodied self dwelling in the body

comes unglued and is freed from the body —
what then is here left behind?

So, indeed, is that!

5 Not by the out-breath, not by the in-breath;

does any mortal live;

By another do people live, on which those two depend.

6 Come, I’ll tell you this secret and eternal

formulation of truth ( brahman );

And what happens to the self ( atman ), Gautama,
when it encounters death.

7 Some enter a womb by which

an embodied self obtains a body,

Others pass into a stationary thing —
according to what they have done,
according to what they have learned.

8 This person, creating every desire,

who lies awake within those who sleep;

That alone is the Pure! That is brahmanl
That alone is called the Immortal!

On it all the worlds rest;

beyond it no one can ever pass.

So, indeed, is that!

9 As the single fire, entering living beings,

adapts its appearance to match that of each;

So the single self within every being,

adapts its appearance to match that of each,
yet remains quite distinct.

10 As the single wind, entering living beings,

adapts its appearance to match that of each;

So the single self within every being,

adapts its appearance to match that of each,
yet remains quite distinct.

11 As the sun, the eye of the whole world,

is not stained by visual faults external to it;

397

5.11

The Early Upanisads

(WfT ^rnWTrrfT

T fcirciff c5t^:#T ^TTW: 1 1 ? ? 1 1

tjcpt" Sf# ^T^cTRRTr^

o^r ^q- wfsrr *r: ^frfcr I
rmicHW ^sjwrPcT sfkw

fmtg# 5ii^^rcr^w 1 1 nit

tcR^&cTTPTTfr

^rf zfr 2 furrier c^r-ft I
cnrRW ^sjwrf^r gftw

eftt 5Tlf^T: 5TPHcfr 3'cT^W 1 1 ? 3 1 1

crtcT^lcr qr4 2 §w I

^r t cf^n^kr f^r mfer furrier 4 ^t 1 1 ? v 1 1

T m iTTfeT =T

^TT f^feft 1 *nf^T ^cfrsqrff^: I
eFT^r iTFcPTJ mfeT ?T#

cTFT 5TRTT ?T^f^ f^TTfeT ll?Kll

l! ^ II

3T£^gc5t ar^I^W 1 IT^tS’^T^T: SRTeFT I
cT^r erf ^Tfcf'g^el I
dRtf$=pr: f^rai: elf 'dle^feT ^FT 1 1

felt cTcf II? II

zrf^ 1 f^T SfJieH'f RFT C^feT f^jTeFT I

Wf3RT 5T feT^feTT^ ^FT^rT 11^1 1

398

Katha Upanisacl

6.2

So the single self within every being,

is not stained by the suffering of the world,
being quite distinct from it.

12 The one controller, the self within every being,

who makes manifold his single appearance;

The wise who perceive him as abiding within themselves,
they alone, not others, enjoy eternal happiness.

13 The changeless, among the changing,

the intelligent, among intelligent beings,

the one, who dispenses desires among the many;

The wise who perceive him within themselves;
they alone, not others, enjoy unending peace.

14 “This is that” — so they think, although

the highest bliss can’t be described.

But how should I perceive it?

Does it shine?

Or does it radiate?

15 There the sun does not shine,

nor the moon and stars;

There lightning does not shine,

of this common fire need we speak!

Him alone, as he shines, do all things reflect;
this whole world radiates with his light.

VALLl 6

Its roots above, its branches below,
this is the eternal banyan tree.

That alone is the Bright! That is brahmanl
That alone is called the Immortal!

On it all the worlds rest;

beyond it no one can ever pass.

So, indeed, is that!

2 All that is here, whatever that lives,

having arisen, moves within the breath;
Great is the fear, the bolt is raised up;
those who know it become immortal.

399

6.3

The Early Upanisads

Wfrrfcf 1 I

wrf^r qo^: I R 1 1

W 5rRF5lftTPT fY$FT: I

o

cTcT: stCU^pt 2 I ivi I

crsncJ#r

W FfY cFIT I

wqj qfYr ^

cTCT JRrf# tSWIdHiitf^T IlKlI

ff^TRir cf^fc^zrRrFWT ^ FcT I

iT??r sfkY f # 3% I Kll

#^r«r: <rt mr wn Ff^rgrpw l
?TWF^r 1H1W I Ml

^'sq'fbi^' tc g^Yr’ smq^Ysfef i3°r ^ I
Y fnw gwr ^r ^i^fcr I Ml

■T fcTFjfY ?wr

t FfgqT q^rfc r I

f^T Pkr ^FraT^qfFY

f ikii

w q^rmfci^Y ^imiPi ^ftot wg I

ffe^T T fYt^fcT 1 cTRTf : qW ^rfcPT 1 1 ? ° 1 1

dt YrntYfY I

mw^mzj wf^ 1 YYfr % qF^i^r4t 1 1 ? ? 1 1

400

Katha Upanisad

6.11

3 The fear of it makes the fire burn;

The fear of it makes the sun shine;

The fear of it makes them run —

Indra and Wind,
and Death, the fifth.

4 If one were able to realize it here,

before his body dissolves;

It will serve him to obtain a body
within the created worlds.

5 As in a mirror, so in the body ( atman );

As in a dream, so in the fathers’ world;

As in water a thing becomes somewhat visible,
so in the Gandharva world;

Somewhat as in shadows and light,
so in brahman's world.

6 The separate nature of the senses;

Their rise and fall as they come
Separately into being —

when a wise man knows this,
he does not grieve.

7 Higher than the senses is the mind;

Higher than the mind is the essence;

Higher than the essence is the immense self;
Higher than the immense is the unmanifest.

8 Higher than the unmanifest is the person,

pervading all and without any marks.
Knowing him, a man is freed,
and attains immortality.

9 His appearance is beyond the range of sight;

no one can see him with his sight;

With the heart, with insight, with thought,
has he been contemplated —

Those who know this become immortal.

to When the five perceptions are stilled,
together with the mind,

And not even reason bestirs itself;
they call it the highest state.

1 1 When senses are firmly reined in,
that is Yoga, so people think.

From distractions a man is then free,
for Yoga is the coming-into-being,
as well as the ceasing-to-be.

401

6.12

The Early Upanisads

% =r wm mg - 5 twt =r wgwr I

3T??ftfcr IWTS^ 'd^Mei^rcr 1 1 HI I

3i<xHc^^Htf<ay6t| ctxd^HN : Wtfl^fcl 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

w ef ^f(t ^rsw ff^ fawn \

am- TR^sgcfr vrawrw 1 §ffr wpgfr 1 1 ?vi I

W Rl^Rf f^R% JFm: I

3r?T ^WsgcTT 1 1 HI I

5RT xT

I

fccf r ^c^rof ^cjpd 1 1 H 1 1

a^WTTT: g^^RJrfTT

H^T' 5RRT f^T 1 I

w t3w I

ct f%^p^rgct

cT fen^^TgdfjrfrT 1 1 ? V9 1 1

gcgmrw ^%cfrs^

Rill^di XT fdFPT l

srfTMrr

3^3%T Jft f^OTTfR^ 2 I I ? ci 1 1

II ffcT W& ^ II
II <^frT II

402

Katha Upanisad

6.18

12 Not by speech, not by the mind,

not by sight can he be grasped.

How else can that be perceived,
other than by saying “He is!”

13 In just two ways can he be perceived:

by saying that “He is.”
by affirming he’s the real.

To one who perceives him as “He is.”
it becomes clear that he is real.

14 When they are all banished,

those desires lurking in one’s heart;

Then a mortal becomes immortal,
and attains brahman in this world.

15 When the knots are all cut,

that bind one’s heart on earth;

Then a mortal becomes immortal —

For such is the teaching.

16 One hundred and one, the veins of the heart.

One of them runs up to the crown of the head.

Going up by it, he reaches the immortal.

The rest, in their ascent, spread out in all directions.

17 A person the size of a thumb in the body ( atman ),

always resides within the hearts of men;

One should draw him out of the body with determination,
like a reed from the grass sheath;

One should know him
as immortal and bright.

One should know him
as immortal and bright.

18 Then, after Naciketas received this body of knowledge,

and the entire set of yogic rules taught by Death,

He attained brahman; he became free from aging and death;
so will others who know this teaching about the self.

The end of the Katha Upanisad.

403

This page intentionally left blank

EIGHT

Isa Upanisad

The Isa Upanisad (also called “Isavasya Upanisad”) forms the fortieth chapter of the
Vajasaneyi Samhita of the White Yajurveda. Just like the Kena Upanisad, the IU
gets its name from its first word, Isa (“by the Lord”). It is the only Upanisad that
forms an integral part of a vedic Samhita and is, therefore, also known as the
“Samhita Upanisad.” Just like the BU, the IU has been preserved in two recensions,
the Madhyandina and the Kanva. As a text of the White Yajurveda, the IU shows
many similarities in thought and expressions with the BU. Nevertheless, the doc-
trines and ideas of the IU show that this document belongs broadly to the time and
milieu that produced other similar texts with a strong theistic and devotional ten-
dency, such as the SU, MuU, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, the KaU. The IU is
placed first in all the indigenous collections of Upanisads.

405

fsjrcfa'-H

ffr frrt m ^sr: <rft ferepr^ 1 1 ? 1 1

cgcf?r%ir 'cbi-iff^i Mf^d fft: I

R/t c^r FRT^c tefer 2 T CP# fc^fcT qf 3 ll^ll

arg^it 1 fft cf c5t^r 3F?Kr cFraTffrr: I
cTR^ 5lFTTpFr^5f^T 2 % ^ WFfdT SRT: I U II

3^^- trft ^fWr
4^1 anyc^Md 1 I

“ O c\ %

deSf^cfl'S^HFlfcl fcPS$cf

crf&sFfr wf^gT sorter nvii

d^lrl d&v-fri d&Pd4? I

^ 2

dq^FT Fnfer df d^FIIFi 3TfRT: IlHlI

?TFJ F^ff^T ^jcTF^TcH ?H H M F-ffcT 1 I

dlrHT-t cTcfr d~ 11^1 1

FRiRFrpr 1 I

cTT Rtf: W: 5Tt^ Ud^fl-^dd: 1 1^1 1

F q^FT^RTWTWPT 1

•o "V

3TFni%f f^WRf^gTT I
d/MdPi! ql^R: FFFgT

qr^Tcnsr^^I^d^ 2 fFrmr: lie; 1 1

3RT rPCT: Rf^lf^T I

d?fr w ^r cT mr f 3 - 14^idT mr. IK 11

406

This whole world is to be dwelt in by the Lord,
whatever living being there is in the world.

So you should eat what has been abandoned;
and do not covet anyone’s wealth.

2 Just performing works in this world,

you should desire to live your hundred years.

Thus, and not otherwise, in fact,
does work not smear off on you.

3 “Demonic” are those worlds called,

in blind darkness they are cloaked;

Into them after death they go,

all those people who kill the self.

4 Although not moving, the one is swifter than the mind;

the gods cannot catch it, as it speeds on in front.
Standing, it outpaces others who run;
within it Matarisvan places the waters.

5 It moves — yet it does not move!

It’s far away— yet it is near at hand!

It is within this whole world — yet
it’s also outside this whole world.

6 When a man sees all beings

within his very self,

and his self within all beings,

It will not seek to hide from him.

2 When in the self of a discerning man,
his very self has become all beings,

What bewilderment, what sorrow can there be,
regarding that self of him who sees this oneness.

8 He has reached the seed — without body or wound,

without sinews, pure, not riddled by evil.
Self-existent and all-encompassing,
the wise sage has dispensed objects
through endless years.

9 Into blind darkness they enter,

people who worship ignorance;

And into still blinder darkness,
people who delight in learning.

407

10

The Early Upanisads

to gwr toto # totwrto tl ? o 1 1

f^W totof V toto# Ff I
tow to toft ftongrwg# 1 1 ? ? 1 1

w m: totor I

to w w ft to f ^ ft-gw w: 1 1 n II

wtof: ?toT^T^TftoraTcf I
to toto ft totorfto 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

?rto ^ to# w hf I

to n W># iltoll

ftotor qtor wwriftfftft gwr I
cito 1 g^?N'ifg wqtoftr tor H?MI

^ to ^ 3nrq ^ r
c^f toftrrgF to I
to - to cfft

qtoft towto gw: ftrstoftr MUM

ciigtoc^gtoPt wt toto I
as tor to to ^ tot 2 w to ^ 1 1

408

Isa Upanisad

17

10 It’s far different from knowledge, they say,

Different also from ignorance, we’re told —
so have we heard from wise men,
who have explained it to us.

1 1 Knowledge and ignorance —

a man who knows them both together,

Passes beyond death by ignorance,

and by knowledge attains immortality.

12 Into blind darkness they enter,

people who worship nonbecoming;

And into still blinder darkness,
people who delight in becoming.

Bit’s far different from coming-into-being, they say,
Different also from not coming-into-being, we’re told —
so have we heard from wise men,
who have explained it all to us.

14 The becoming and the destruction —

a man who knows them both together;

Passes beyond death by the destruction,
and by the becoming attains immortality.

15 The face of truth is covered
with a golden dish.

Open it, O Pusan, for me,
a man faithful to the truth.

Open it, O Pusan, for me to see.

160 Pusan, sole seer!

Yama! Sun! Son of Prajapati!

Spread out your rays!

Draw in your light!

I see your fairest form.

That person up there,

I am he!

12 The never-resting is the wind,
the immortal!

Ashes are this body’s lot.

OM!

Mind, remember the deed!

Remember!

Mind, remember the deed!

Remember!

409

18

The Early Upanisads

3Tfr gW WTR

writer f^gpr I

srftw $ w-5^ f^T 1 ll?^l

<=\

i! ffcr f^mfwr li

410

Isa Upanisad

18

18 O Fire, you know all coverings;

O god, lead us to riches,
along an easy path.

Keep the sin that angers,
far away from us;

And the highest song of praise,
we shall offer to you!

The end of the Isa Upanisad.

411

This page intentionally left blank

NINE

Svetasvatara Upanisad

The Svetasvatara Upanisad, traditionally ascribed to the Black Yajurveda, is a
somewhat late text composed under the influence of both the Samkhya-Yoga tradi-
tion and the emerging theistic tendencies. Its thought and vocabulary are close to
those of the other famous theistic document, the Bhagavad Gita. Just like the latter
text, the SU appears somewhat chaotic in its presentation because it seeks to inte-
grate numerous and divergent cosmologies and theologies into its religious doctrine.
Further, the numerous citations from older vedic texts indicate that the author is
attempting to support his doctrines with vedic proof-texts, often presented with new
interpretations. It is clear, however, that a major aim of the author is to establish
that the God who creates and from whom one expects salvation is one. This point is
driven home by the repeated use of the term eka, “one” or “alone.”

This Upanisad is named after the teacher of its doctrine, one Svetasvatara (lit.,
“man with a white mule”). In his recent study, Oberlies (1988) argues against the
commonly held conception that the SU is a “chaotic accumulation of different text-
layers” and attempts to demonstrate that the Upanisad is a uniform text presenting a
teaching on the god Rudra by amalgamating him with the vedic god Agni.

Departing from my normal practice, I have chosen to translate the SU in prose,
even though the text itself is in verse. The technical nature of much of the text and
its complex philosophical arguments make it difficult to render into verse while
keeping it accurate and readable.

413

ADHYAYA 1

People who make inquiries about brahman say:

What is the cause of brahman ? Why were we born? By what do we live? On what
are we established? Governed by whom, O you who know brahman, do we live in
pleasure and in pain, each in our respective situation?

2 Should we regard it as time, as inherent nature, as necessity, as chance, as the ele-
ments, as the source of birth, or as the Person? Or is it a combination of these? But
that can’t be, because there is the self ( atman ). Even the self is not in control,
because it is itself subject to pleasure and pain.

3 Those who follow the discipline of meditation have seen God, the self, and the
power, all hidden by their own qualities. One alone is he who governs all those
causes, from “time” to “self.”

4-5 We study it —

as a wheel that is one-rimmed and threefold, with sixteen tips, fifty spokes,
twenty counterspokes, and six sets of eight, whose single rope is of many
forms; that divides itself into three different paths; and whose delusion re-
garding the one springs from two causes.

as a river whose waters are the five sense organs; whose fierce crocodiles are
the five sources of birth; whose waves are the five breaths; whose primal
source is the five types of perception; which has five whirlpools; whose
rapid current is the five types of sorrow; which divides itself in fifty ways;
and which has five sections.

6 Within this vast wheel of brahman, on which all subsist and which abides in all, a
goose keeps moving around. When he perceives himself {atman) as distinct from
the impeller, delighted by that knowledge he goes from there to immortality.

7 This highest brahman, however, has been extolled thus: There is a triad in it —
oneself, the foundation, and the imperishable. When those who know brahman have
come to know the distinction between them, they become absorbed in and totally
intent on brahman and are freed from the womb.

8 This whole world is the perishable and the imperishable, the manifest and the un-
manifest joined together — and the Lord bears it, while the self {atman), who is not
the Lord, remains bound, because he is the enjoyer. When he comes to know God,
he is freed from all fetters.

415

1.9

The Early Upanisads

fn# ST^i<A$i4l9iiW I

3T^RT^W fRwfr flWr m w ^mcTcf 3 I KM

SFC RFRJT^cfR^R' ^T: ^RTr^RTtfl^rf' ^ ]

cTWrRsqHl#3^^ II ? o 1 1

frw ^ ?#rr5iTTfT^r: MR I

ciFnteiHiTicflAi Rr^tpf 1 arrawr; 2 1 1 ? ? 1 1

I^T^T w: qt ^rfoq- f^ W^R[ I

*fW SlftdR ^ 3 Tc^T fllW sT^TcIcT 1 1 H 1 1

cfl^rr #^TcTFT f^Tcf ^T tT fcSlfTRT: I
?T ^T PR Wi||Pl^fR?Tfl ’ WT t SFT%T ^ I in II

?^ffRR fF3T SPW #cRT#nr I
81T#taMn^ t l#^cl I mil

fcT% cte" a^Ffk -1 gf^TT: ^tcf:^Mtf 2 xn%: I
l.rqTTfBTr^Pl 3 cfW qfcgqjpjR 1 1 ?Kl I

^OTlftHHIcHIH' dftRdlRdd I

ailed [^dldRdR cH?; ^TtqRnWT cP3[ s^fmf^WTCT 1 1 ? ?< II

II ^frT yrarfrs?3TR-: II

go^-FT gw TFRrR^RT 1 dRdT RhT: I

a# 2 ^rtirff^nw 3 3iw>w 4 1 1 ? 1 1

dFRT I dd <R HI dRc|. dR I

geflW ?ra^“ 2 IRII

g^ypr ■hH’HI i^d4cil Rptt Rdd I
^^vjvriilRc cpR^d." dRdl Mgdlfd did I R 1 1

416

Svetasvatara Upanisad

2.3

9 There are two unborn males — the one knows and the other is ignorant; the one is
Lord and the other is not the Lord. There is just one unborn female, who is joined to
the enjoyer and the objects of enjoyment. And then there is the self ( atman ), limit-
less and displaying every form, not engaged in any activity. When someone finds
these three, he finds this brahman.

10 The primal source is perishable, while Hara is immortal and imperishable. The
one God rules over both the perishable and the self (atman). By meditating on him,
by striving toward him, and, further, in the end by becoming the same reality as
him, all illusion disappears.

11 When one has known God, all the fetters fall off; by the eradication of the blem-
ishes, birth and death come to an end; by meditating on him, one obtains, at the dis-
solution of the body, a third — sovereignty over all; and in the absolute one’s desires
are fulfilled.

12 This can be known, for it abides always within one’s body (atman). Higher than
that there is nothing to be known. When the enjoyer discerns the object of enjoy-
ment and the impeller — everything has been taught. That is the threefold brahman.

13 When a fire is contained within its womb, one cannot see its visible form and yet
its essential character is not extinguished; one can grasp the fire once again from its
womb by means of tinder. In just the same way, one can grasp both within the body
by means of the syllable OM.

14 When one makes one’s own body the bottom slab and the syllable OM the upper
drill, by twirling it constantly through meditation one would see God, just as one
would the hidden thing.

15-16Like oil in sesame seeds and butter in curds, like water in the riverbed and fire
in the fire-drills, so, when one seeks it with truth and austerity, one grasps that self
(atman) in the body (atman ) — that all-pervading self, which is contained [in the
body], like butter in milk.

That is brahman, the highest object of the teachings on hidden connections
(upanisad), an object rooted in austerity and the knowledge of the self.

ADHYAYA 2

Yoking first his mind, and extending then his thoughts, Savitr, having recognized
the fire as the light, brought it here from the earth.

2 With minds yoked, we [make the offering] under the stimulus of the god Savitr for
a heavenly abode, for strength.

3 Yoking the gods, as they go to heaven with their mind and to the firmament with
their thought, may Savitr stimulate them to create the lofty light.

417

2.4

The Early Upanisads

53 ^- w 53 ^ Rr4r f4qr forcer f^fr f4qf%?n I
Rr Ftrr ^ 4^ *4%: qf^gf^r: I Ml

g4r qf g°4 1 q44f£rf4 qRcr q^r 3 grr : 4 I

^prRcr 5 f^4 q^r 3fT £rrfr ftanRr 6 cRf: I iql 1

3)^4qifWzr^ cj|^4dlf4j^ri|cl 1 I
444 r qqifrfR^c) cRT 4dl±lc) FT: I K 1 1

qf4qT srt4t f4cf sr^r g^Rr 2 I
m 3 4tRf <^>jm4 4 t tt ^ qcfaf^Ncr I Ml

Riwr 1 wr ?Rtt ^4tf%rrf&r trot *rRi%r I

^ftf4r q? Rcr %t^4ctt% rf^r wq^rRr I Ml

qwBPfrs^i fr 1 #of q^t wiRicb4l-^41cf 2 I
fSFggtfjRrqr qr^T f4?RRt snq4cfrqw: I Kll

?FT « I crR ! q ! r^^r^q’Ri-O St i ^ d> I HR : R ft : : I

TFTR q" ^ qiy4K4 q$iPlqidi>5pqft q4ld4d % II ? ° 1 1

dlftlf4«M«Hi ^^Id^^ddbRcfj^l^lldld I

qaiRr ^mft gq:qq#r wiRqfft^qftpqRTfft 444 M ? ? M

g^oqHdliPlrt’^ qo-^loH^ qMldu) y'Jrl I

q ctft ftfr q ^rt q f :^ -3 qrqqr 4tqT%qq 5 ifRqr M ? q 1 1

oiy^di4 J 'qq^l^Hc4 cftqqiq : 1 wftfteq q I

JRT: g*fr qqq^q'Feq" 4MlM#c1 qw q^f4f M n M

qtft fftq J^q4lqfc5H 1 4dft4' ^T3f4 dcg^TRFT 2 I
crgTrqcTW 5RTTftW 444 q^ - : ^rTFff q# 44^4 ^: 4 ||?V||

qqicddiftT <J W§TrTt4" oftM-Mr gqr: qq^4rf I
qq spr F4cfr4f4^q4 511^1 44” dRcl dKmft 1 1 ? ql I

418

Svetasvatara Upanisad

2.15

4 They yoke their minds, they yoke their thoughts, those inspired poets of the lofty
poet. That one alone who knows the patterns has apportioned the offerings. Re-
sounding is the praise of the god Savitr.

5 I yoke with adorations the ancient formulation ( brahman ) of you two. The praises
spread wide, like the suns on their course. All the sons of the immortal hear them,
when they have reached the heavenly abodes.

6 Where the fire is churned, where the wind wafts, where the Soma juice flows
over — there the mind is born.

7 By means of Savitr and his stimulus let a man take delight in that ancient formula-
tion (brahman). Make there a source of birth for yourself. And the gifts you have
given, not even an iota, [would fall] from you [to someone else’s lot],

8 When he keeps his body straight, with the three sections erect, and draws the
senses together with the mind into his heart, a wise man shall cross all the frightful
rivers with the boat consisting of that formulation (brahman).

9 Compressing his breaths in here and curbing his movements, a man should exhale
through one nostril when his breath is exhausted. A wise man should keep his mind
vigilantly under control, just as he would that wagon yoked to unruly horses.

l°Level and clean; free of gravel, fire, and sand; near noiseless running waters and
the like; pleasing to the mind but not offensive to the eye; provided with a cave or a
nook sheltered from the wind — in such a spot should one engage in yogic practice.

1 1 Mist, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fireflies, lightning, crystal, moon — these are the ap-
paritions that, within yogic practice, precede and pave the way to the full manifes-
tation in brahman.

12 When earth, water, fire, air, and ether have arisen together, and the body made up
of these five becomes equipped with the attribute of yoga, that man, obtaining a
body tempered by the fire of yoga, will no longer experience sickness, old age, or
suffering.

13 Lightness, health, the absence of greed, a bright complexion, a pleasant voice, a
sweet smell, and very little feces and urine — that, they say, is the first working of
yogic practice.

14 Just as a disk smeared with clay, once it is cleaned well, shines brightly, so also
an embodied person, once he has perceived the true nature of the self, becomes
solitary, his goal attained and free from sorrow.

15 When, by means of the true nature of the self, which resembles a lamp, a man
practicing yogic restraint sees here the true nature of brahman, he is freed from all
fetters, because he has known God, unborn, unchanging, and unsullied by all ob-
jects.

419

2.16

The Early Upanisads

HT f 1 rRstTR' ?rat: q4r ^ SUcf: W 3RT: I

*r t^r w: 2 ?r srf^riTFr: src*r^ 5 1 1 ?^i I

4r rf 4t ?rr f44 2 gwnM^r I
3fr^fr§- 3fr sr^ql^rg- cr^" ^fr ^nr: Il?i9ll

il fMNfcsqw: II

*T 0,4) 'Jflrtc|l41$lcl |$l41Rr: H^fgt^Ffr5TcT ^IHlRr:' I
JT t#R 3^4 4^4 T[ q- 4 licrftf^cTR^ r44t 1 1 ? 1 1

% 2 ?4r q - fMw cr4r 3 zr fsr4t4r: 4 I

5RW SFTffer^fcr 4g^q- f^STT g^RTf4 W: 6 11^1 1

f4W5a^?KT f%wr^4r f^dMl^d f^WFTTcT I
4 w \ |w eprf4 4 qrrt^fraT^4t ^ 1 1 3 1 1

4r 4 r 4 f4gTf4qr $4r i^ff: 2 I

q-Rirmra- g4 *r 4r f^rr gw 4pxf livil

*rr 4 ??r %R" dd^wwiM- I

cRTT WJoir 4ldddT IlHlI

*nf4j Prf^RT ^4 f^Rsfert 1 l

f^rat f4f4r dt <g?r r f|4t q^t^iiw h^h

dcr: qt sr^nt 1 RqirW4 *t4r4j I
Rwr qcf4 qft3fSddk4¥r 4 frw sfjjdf r44t I l^l I

4?r 44 qw q^i^ddiRdid^ ciw: I

c44r RR^ifrr ^4f4 =t srt: 2 q^rr f4w4sqdw I kl I

^FTT?qt qTqrqf^r f444?RRR44fr t Ri44f4r f4fW I
ifdwr Rf4 j4w4cfi4t44 q4 g^r r4t IKII

ci4r qgd<d< d q d i h q d I

w i^dRg^drRr wf4r 3 3 t 44^ j :^4Rf444r I ! ? ° 1 1

420

Svetasvatara Upanisad

3.10

i <5 This God does pervade all quarters. He was born the first, yet he remains within
the womb. He it is, who was born; he, who will be born. His face everywhere, he
stands turning west toward men.

I 7 He who abides as God in the fire; who abides in the waters; who has entered
every being; who abides in the plants; who abides in the trees — to that God adora-
tion! Adoration!

ADHYAYA 3

Who alone, wielding the net, reigns by his sovereign powers, reigns over all worlds
by his sovereign powers; who also alone is present at their rise and birth — those
who know this become immortal.

2 There is only one Rudra; he has not tolerated a second who would reign over these
worlds by his sovereign powers. After drawing in all beings, he stands as the pro-
tector at the end of time turning west toward men.

3 Eyes everywhere and face everywhere, arms everywhere and feet everywhere, he
forges with his two hands, he forges with the wings, producing the heaven and
earth, the one God.

4 Who, as the source and origin of the gods and the ruler over them all, as the god
Rudra, and as the great seer, in the beginning created Hiranyagarbha — may he fur-
nish us with lucid intelligence.

5 That form of yours, O Rudra, which is benign and not terrifying, which is not sin-
ister-looking — with that most auspicious form of yours, O Mountain-dweller, look
upon us.

6 The arrow, O Mountain-dweller, that you hold in your hand to shoot — make it
benign, O Mountain-protector; hurt not man or beast.

7 Who is higher than that, higher than brahman, the immense one hidden in all be-
ings, in each according to its kind, and who alone encompasses the whole uni-
verse — when people know him as the Lord, they become immortal.

8 1 know that immense Person, having the color of the sun and beyond darkness.
Only when a man knows him does he pass beyond death; there is no other path for
getting there.

9 This whole world is filled by that Person, beyond whom there is nothing; beneath
whom there is nothing; smaller than whom there is nothing; larger than whom there
is nothing; and who stands like a tree planted firmly in heaven.

10 What is higher than that is without visible appearance and free from affliction.
Those who know it become immortal; as for the rest, only suffering awaits them.

421

3.11

The Early Upanisads

dq^dRldiTh: I

?T WTRdTmdiT^ld: 1 1 ? ? 1 1

wra^f 3W: ?Tt^T I

gf^feTf^nrr HTfMsrrcr 1 ^fcUotw: 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

31fWTTT: gWTS^RT?^TT fRT «RHT gf^T; 1 I

f^r TFfrcrr 2 wnfiripir ?r 3 tTcrftfirpTfdr linil

?TfW: ff?WRT I

F f^WT fd3T 3f^(^51lf OT 1 ||?V||
w ^ ?if ^ct Jp^r |

° c\ %

^dl^dcd'd^lM) ^^RrfcRt^frT 1 1 ? Hi I

?T^:q#NK I

d4d':^fddgl^‘ fd^lcf ll?^ll

flff^jrprnw ^rtf^rf^cff^cFr I

ST^fWpT HcfW IpTcr' 1 1 ?V9l |

gt pfr 3??ra?r 3 %: I

5f# TF&T e^FT xf \\%6\ I

3TTrf&nrr^r wft y&m *r I

?r ^frr t xr cnprrRd cRTgw w-^t; 1 1 ?^l I

'di^FTIdRI pt ftf^dliW ^RTT: I
dJT5h'g" sflrr^T^r 1 II ^ ° 1 1

^Tf^cPfMt 3TFT e°ftdRTt *T#n?T I

PP^rT JfFT doidrfy-T SRc^tT 11^? 1 1

II ffrT djd l' ^ r i ^rnr: ll

JT iT^rs^aff 1 STpT $1 R^i|>l I gyfR^l IdR d I «rf 2 ^nfcT I
#f^r xn^r f^ptR# fr ^r: 3 sr ^rr f^rr ^rw 1 1 ? 1 1

422

Svetasvatara Upanisad

4.1

1 1 Who is the face, head, and neck of all, who resides deep in the heart of all beings,
and who pervades everything — he is the Blessed One. Therefore, the Benign One is
present everywhere.

12 The Person, clearly, is the immense Lord. He is the one who sets in motion the
real. The Imperishable One rules over the light, this totally flawless attainment.

13 The Person the size of a thumb abiding within the body ( atman ) always resides
within the hearts of people. With the heart, with insight, with thought has he been
contemplated. Those who know this become immortal.

14 The Person had a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. Having
encompassed the earth on all sides, he extended ten fingers’ breadth beyond it.

15 This whole world is just the Person, whatever there was and whatever there will
be. Even over immortality he rules, when he rises above [the world] through food.

16 With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads, and faces everywhere, and
with ears everywhere, that remains encompassing everything in the world —

l 7 That, which appears to possess the powers of all the senses but is devoid of every
sense, which is the lord, the ruler of the whole world, the vast refuge of the whole
world.

18 Within the fort with nine gates, the embodied one flutters to the outside like a
goose; it is the master of the whole world, of both the immobile and the mobile.

19 He moves swiftly, but he has no feet; he grasps, but he has no hands; he sees, but
he has no eyes; he hears, but he has no ears. He knows what is there to know, but
there is no one who knows him. They call him the first and immense Person.

20Finer than the finest, larger than the largest, is the self that lies here hidden in the
heart of a living being. A man who, by the creator's grace, sees that desireless one
as the majesty and as the Lord will be free from sorrow.

21 1 know that unaging and ancient one as the self in all beings, as present in all be-
cause of his pervasiveness; the one, about whom those who inquire after brahman
proclaim — he always brings about the cessation of birth.

ADHYAYA 4

Who alone, himself without color, wielding his power creates variously countless
colors, and in whom the universe comes together at the beginning and dissolves in
the end — may he furnish us with lucid intelligence.

423

4.2

The Early Upanisads

^di: I

cT^T U?fT d^ sT^T dglWdJdTRRf: IRII
dt dr 1 q^Rrrf^r dt 1 ^rtt ^ct =tt I

0-0 o

oT sM R-^Rl dT ^TTcfr ^ra% f^ydlH^: I R 1 1

Rcfft ffefr oS)fiid'iy*dfefctf' HgstT I
sRTf^rfxt 1 f^tr crRfT Rcfr strtiPt g^nRr Rmr I |v| 1

3RT^5T c5tf|cf^rg^3iit s|^l: Uvjji: g^RHi dTddTT: 1 I
3pfr ifcdt d^lr^Hi ^^RTTR^m^r: 2 IIM I

gr 1 gqqt ?rg^T ddtm qf^R^ncf I

cFTt^T: f^Tcd dTIJ 3TfrT 2 3RW^fT 3rRT dlcb?ftfcl I K 1 1

errRr f^r ^wr f^nqitr 1 st^t^tt sfdrfcr ^ipth: I

fcj- ?rgT Roller 3 ^'jfl^rR^T 4 qftqFrRrfrT 5 cflcRTlc^: | )vs 1 1

W3T 3T^t 31% I

ddrfw ^ Rpftrr ^R^'fo *r $d%w fir dWcT MM I

s^ri% mr: ^Kf^r srarRr ^cf i

STFU^Pfr f^^ddf^RlT R1W dRd\?: MM I

W g RcpfcT RrTI^tRFT' Rtwr I
ClWiq-qq^Hcl^n °MIH ddfdg d J ld M ? ° 1 1

C\ O ■>

?rr ?frRr JTTRmftrfcTESc^ dRqftg t q - tRr I
dTft^TR f^TF^rf 5nf^T^RTprfcr M??M

dt ^FTT f^lfM' 1 dgt df#: ? ' I

ft^Kppt w 3 wt w rT f^rr gw M ? M I

?fr ^ctnidftiMi dRd j5i<^i 3rf^)di: l

it f?T 3R£T ffW f^T ll^ll

gwfrrgw' cbfe(F5W WT f^WT aTOteW I

qlW^cTit wrr^T ^uKid^-nARi M?M!

424

Svetasvatara Upanisad

4.14

2 The fire is simply that; the sun is that; the wind is that; and the moon is also that!
The bright one is simply that; brahman is that; the waters are that; and Prajapati is
that!

3 You are a woman; you are a man; you are a boy or also a girl. As an old man, you
totter along with a walking stick. As you are born, you turn your face in every di-
rection.

4 You are the dark blue bird, the green one with red eyes, the rain-cloud, the sea-
sons, and the oceans. You live as one without a beginning because of your perva-
siveness, you, from whom all beings have been born.

5 One unborn male [billy goat], burning with passion, covers one unborn female
[nanny goat] colored red, white, and black, and giving birth to numerous offspring
with the same colors as hers, while another unborn male leaves her as soon as she
has finished enjoying the pleasures.

6 Two birds, who are companions and friends, nestle on the very same tree. One of
them eats a tasty fig; the other, not eating, looks on.

7 Stuck on the very same tree, one person grieves, deluded by her who is not the
Lord. But when he sees the other, the contented Lord — and the Lord’s majesty — his
grief disappears.

8 The syllable amidst the Rg, the syllable upon which all the gods are seated in the
highest heaven — when a man does not know it, what will he do with a Rg. Seated
here together are people who do know it!

9 Meters, sacrifices, rites, religious observances, the past, the future, and what the
Vedas proclaim — from that the illusionist creates this whole world, and in it the
other remains confined by the illusory power.

10 One should recognize the illusory power as primal matter, and the illusionist, as
the great Lord. This whole living world is thus pervaded by things that are parts of
him.

1 1 Who alone presides over womb after womb; in whom this whole world comes
together and dissolves — when someone recognizes that Lord who fulfills wishes as
the God who is to be adored, he attains this unending peace.

12 Who, as the source and origin of the gods and the ruler over them all, as the god
Rudra, and as the great seer, looked on as Hiranyagarbha was being bom — may he
furnish us with lucid intelligence.

13 Who is the Supreme Lord of the gods; on whom the worlds rest; who rules over
the bipeds and the quadrupeds here — to what god shall we offer oblations?

14 Who is finer than the finest, in the midst of disorder; who is the creator of the
universe displaying various forms; who, alone, encompasses the universe — when
someone recognizes him as the Benign One, he attains unending peace.

425

4.15

The Early Upanisads

^nWt 3 Ferrer fafa frw gegwifedfer I RkI I

fciw wf^nderg^T fnw fat d4*jclg ^r I
faam it^- 1 qf^feent frw tt *pifr efonf )': 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

f^ycb^ -H ^ i <r-H I ?T^T ddldi ^pif dPlR 1 ^: I
f^J TFftTf' RRBT^rpT V U,d%^dl^ 1 1 ?V9 1 1

w cptW f^rr =r e?r ymPW ^ ter: |
rfirait cr^rf^^jq wr w umm^w vwtr ii?^ii

t fepfat t mtr qf^micr I

c\ -\

T cTPr SffcPTT SffeT ^TFT RFT ll?^ll

■r fcPssfcT ^trw qr q^rfer I

f^T RROT 3T %''R[dl’RV wtfa I Roll

3Mld cbf%l«$0'R !Jd£lc1 I

dfr 5 far rt mfa f^nr I R ? 1 1

m ^rrfafa crpt rt r rt rt Rtf rt rt sp^j ftfH: l
^^rpr tr rr vijfatr Reftff^RRr: d^RiTdi 1 I rr 1 1

II ffeT xl^iffs?2TFr: II

t rrirV rpr^ f^rrf^ ftftrf rr *fa l

d^f^STT fRR g- f^rr f^TeT re^ ?fR^r: 1 1? 1 1

tr ttt ?rT^pyf^1rP5?^r Ptr#t rpR trtm wtr: I
dtf^ycf cfatt d-wfld fntF^rf^ 2 wR r irTcT I R 1 1

Q%cpr ^rpy 1 wgm t^rfaw I

^r: q?prfcr 2 cRrh #fitw rrcT R^TcRr I R 1 1

rrt f^r ^Trera - a^-rir 1 I

17^ ^ 4 ' f- 1 P RR id ! \S ! - J 'd'Rjl : | R||

426

Svetasvatara Upanisad

5.4

1 5 It is he who protects the world at the right time, the lord of the universe hidden in
all beings. When someone thus knows him, after whom seers and gods strive, he
severs the fetters of death.

16 When someone knows the one who is extremely fine, like the spume on top of the
ghee, as the Benign One hidden in all beings; when someone recognizes him, who
alone encompasses the universe, as God — he is freed from all fetters.

17 That God, the maker of all, the immense self ( atman ), is always residing in the
hearts of people. With the heart, with insight, with thought has he been contem-
plated. Those who know this become immortal.

18 When there was darkness, then there was neither day nor night, neither the exis-
tent nor the nonexistent — the Benign One alone was there. He was the imperish-
able, he was “the excellent [glory] of Savitr,” and from him has come forth the
ancient wisdom.

19 No one will catch hold of him from above, from across, or in the middle. There is
no likeness of him, whose name is Immense Glory.

20 His appearance is beyond the range of sight; no one can see him with his sight.
Those who know him thus with their hearts — him, who abides in their hearts — and
with insight become immortal.

21 “He is the Unborn One!” — so some man, filled with awe, takes refuge with
Rudra — “Protect me always with that kindly face of yours!”

22 “Do not hurt us in our offspring or descendants, in our life, in our cattle or horses.
Do not slay in anger, O Rudra, our valiant men. Oblations in hand, we invite you to
your seat.”

ADHYAYA 5

Two things, knowledge and ignorance, are set down in the imperishable and infinite
fort of brahman, where they lie hidden. Now, ignorance is the perishable and
knowledge is the immortal. But the one who rules over both knowledge and igno-
rance is another —

2 who alone presides over womb after womb, and thus over all visible forms and all
the sources of birth; who in the beginning carried this Kapila born of the seer to-
gether with his body of knowledge and would look on him as he was being bom.

3 Spreading out one net after another in diverse ways within this world, this God
gathers them in. After creating it once again, the Lord likewise tears it down. The
immense self (atman) exercises his sovereignty over the whole world.

4 As the draft-ox shines, lighting up all the quarters, above, below, and across, so
this God, blessed and adorable, alone rules over wombs and inherent natures.

427

5.5

The Early Upanisads

qW cndcr Rrwtf^r: qi^w I

?^crft 5 sriTfMc^^ imjl

^ cT^ s^TT i^Rtf^PT I
% g^W* cl%^ cRWT STfcfT t ^ptTJ: I KU

WRpfr JT: !qx5^felt fcfFT cR% fT : ^T c nfra5T I
*T f^T^ff#R?fr RFrrf^T: HxRfcT I |V9 1 1

'O

3TfWTT?r %W: ^FTTIfT^ri^cff ?T: I

•O

|- s ^cflH"| r MJ]u|H fcf 3|Kli|J4M> WT^f^ 1 I U 1 1

^w^T^rnTFiFT mm tb'f^riw ^r 1 I
^TFfr sfrcf: F f^T: K xTR^PT cbeMcl 2 I K 1 1

wEsf^JiRfr cfR rPT <st ~mfr l n?°n

^t^RRrg^tw rtfIr 1 1 ? ? 1 1

?fc5Tf^r ^mf^r ^r rftRt ^jj^ufiRr I

f^r^^WT^a' cRf ^Tmtgrq^sf^ ^ 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

3RTWRR cbfeRW WT f^WT I

i^- 1 qf^fecrrt wmr ^r Tppf u^t#: 1 1 n II

viicimic|cf>t f^RR I

rrtr%r ^ ^ RfRrgR ll?v||

II ffcT M^RTSSRTR: II

RH-TR 7 ^ c^c|if| ^fRi cblei cfRRT hRr^HMK I
&rw ITT 1 irflRT fT ^r fR rtrcT II ? 1 1

428

Svetasvatara Upanisacl

6.1

5 Who, as the womb of all, not only ripens by his inherent nature, but also would
bring all those in need of ripening to full development, and who would apportion all
the qualities — he alone rules over this whole universe.

6 It is hidden in the secret Upanisads of the Veda. Recognize it, O Brahmins, as the
womb of brahman. The gods of old and the seers who knew it became of one es-
sence with it and so came to be immortal.

I The one who, in association with the qualities, performs fruitful actions also en-
joys the fruits of that very act. Displaying every form, endowed with the three
qualities, and along three paths he roams about as the lord of vital breaths together
with his own actions.

8 He is as large as a thumb and equal in appearance to the sun when he is equipped
with the faculties of imagination and self-consciousness. But one sees also another
no larger than the tip of an awl who is equipped only with the quality of intelligence
and the quality of the body ( atman ).

9 When the tip of a hair is split into a hundred parts, and one of those parts further
into a hundred parts — the individual soul (jiva), on the one hand, is the size of one
such part, and, on the other, it partakes of infinity.

10 It is neither a woman nor a man, nor even a hermaphrodite; it is ruled over by
whichever body it obtains.

I I The birth and growth of the body {atman) takes place through the offerings of
intention, touch, and sight, and by means of food, drink, and impregnation; whereas
the embodied self assumes successively in different situations the physical appear-
ances that correspond to its actions.

12 The embodied self assumes numerous physical appearances, both large and small,
in accordance with its qualities. One sees also another cause of their union in accor-
dance with the qualities of the actions and the body {atman).

13 Who is without beginning or end, in the midst of disorder; who is the creator of
the universe displaying various forms; who, alone, encompasses the universe —
when someone recognizes him as God, he is freed from all fetters.

l4 Who is to be grasped with one’s heart, who is called “Without-a-Lord,” who
brings about existence and nonexistence, who is the Benign One, and who produces
both the creation and its constituent parts — those who know him as God have cast
aside their bodies.

ADHYAYA 6

Some wise men say it is inherent nature, while others say it is time — all totally de-
luded. It is rather the greatness of God present in the world by means of which this
wheel of brahman goes around.

429

6.2

The Early Upanisads

stTfffT fulfil cf % R# fT: ^TeJcFRt 1 guff I

f^crcfcT w i R 1 1

rfc^Tt iM-Wj rrrrrtrt cTt^t rtTcR %rg I

gjw f¥^RTsjf^rat ^i#t twrg^ar g#: 1 1 3 1 1

3trw ^rfrR jjunP^dift wra~ I

tWTTHTlt ^?I^4W: ^ntcf R rfWfTS^T: I |V| I

3n%: r qvjw4rt'<(-4:oi'.sre- ^ |

ct f^WT WTrTPftet ¥f Fff^rfFRTqW Ilk 1 1

C\ O C\ -\

5T o^r^hf^Tfvr: 'RtS^jf RRncRTW: q^MckiRR I

OTkt qrqgt ^Mi<7H^gcr f^sraw IK 1 1

RrfrWRt CRit RpRT t ^cTFTT kTR R c^RPT I

kfcT qcftgt TRT IWlfePT ^ 'WMHil-liWi' I Ml

R rTRT cfR? R f^Ucf T cfRRTWT^rf^W' ^TrT I
L Klkk ilKbfclKfch sRTRojf^PTT xT II ^ 1 1

=T cTRT c5t%" R ^%ffT R cRR I

r cfjrr 1 c^rui rflrq'Tftrqt t rrr cbf^^PftTr t ^rrf%PT: IKII

ck^r: RETH#: RPTIW: I
^cf xr<3p: ^rn^jftcT 2 R kt ^WTrslW 5 ^ 3 1 1 ? 0 1 1

IT^t ^T: RjfRctR JT^: P^Tkfr R^cTTRRnW I

?T%cTTftraT?T: RT# tcR ^fc5t f^PW 1 1 ? ? 1 1

T^?T cRft Pfebqiuii srgRFkR R|OT <T: cfKrf cf I
RRlcRW ^MWlf^T £fkR#qt FRT STIW ^fFT 1 1 ? R 1 1

fTcRt f^RIMi ^RR^cfRRFtR5t R|Rt RT f^RTfcT ^FTTT I
cRRRRT" RTRRRtRlf?kR t R WTTr^T ^T R^Rlft: 1 1 ? ^ 1 1

430

Svetasvatara Upanisad

6.13

2 Who always encompasses this whole world — the knower, the architect of time, the
one without qualities, and the all-knowing one — it is at his command that the work
of creation, to be conceived of as earth, water, fire, air, and space, unfolds itself.

3 After completing that work and drawing it back again; after joining himself with
the realities one after another — with one, with two, with three, or with eight, as well
as with time and with the subtle qualities of the body ( atman );

4 and after undertaking the works endowed with the qualities; he who would ap-
portion all the modes of existence — when they are no more, the work he has pro-
duced is destroyed — he carries on, when the work is dissolved, as someone other
than those realities.

5-6 One sees him as the beginning, as the basis and cause of the joining, as beyond
the three times, and also as without parts. He, from whom the unfolding of the
world has come forth, is higher than and different from the time-confined forms of
the tree.

After we have first venerated that adorable God displaying every form, the source
of all beings, as residing within one’s heart, and then recognized him as the one who
bestows righteousness and removes evil, as the Lord of prosperity, as abiding within
ourselves (atman), as the Immortal residing in all beings —

7 we will find this highest Great-Lord among lords, the highest God among gods, the
highest master among masters, the God beyond the highest as the adorable Lord of
the universe.

8 One cannot find in him either an obligation to act or an organ with which to act;
neither can one see anyone equal to him, let alone someone who surpasses him. One
hears about his highest and truly diverse power, which is part of his very nature and
is the working of his knowledge and strength.

9 There is no one in the world who is his master, nor anyone who rules over him. He
has no distinguishing mark. He is the cause, the Overlord over the overlords of the
sense organs, and he has neither parent nor overlord.

10 The one God who covers himself with things issuing from the primal source,
from his own inherent nature, as a spider, with the threads — may he procure us dis-
solution in brahman.

1 1 The one God hidden in all beings, pervading the universe, the inner self of all
beings, the overseer of the work, dwelling in all beings, the witness, the avenger,
alone, devoid of qualities;

12 the one controller of the many who are inactive, who makes the single seed mani-
fold — the wise who perceive him as abiding within themselves (atman), they alone,
not others, enjoy eternal happiness.

13 The changeless, among the changing, the intelligent, among intelligent beings, the
one, who dispenses desires among the many — when a man knows that cause, which

431

6.13

The Early Upanisads

■T cTT flfcT -T xKdK<*> ^gj 1 f^cil gif^T cgcitSi|Hf£f: I
dtf ^TRTTRTTrfrT 5f# cR^T f^TTfcT ||?Y||

f^T JTSZr W I

cFtf ^ftfcnfcT ’Jcg^fcT T 3R: 2 ^RTT 1 1 ?M I

w ftpgcj#^ <i c-a 4TPr#: ^cmCt' 1 ftt 2 sr^fasr: I
sgrH^waicf^r: *RTRgtgiM^^^ 1 1 ?^l I

H' 1 cFTOf ff^cT 3 |?RTFTt W- fpftt §WIM %TT I
5T 1 ftr sr?t wmr ftwRr ar# itgf^eicr fsFTFr il?«li

jfr 1 wfrrt f^snfcr *fr I - ^ra - af^ftfcr cr# l
ct f ^WcRffen?>T?r 2 23nf fwf 3 ng^ II?<;||

i%^ct f^Tf^t 5TRT f%f35TTf l

^■gcfFT at f^RRrfiTRRrcp ll?^n

zjcTT xnkfT^rar t^KrPcT RTW: I
cTfr ^qFr%rrcr f .•i'fPRRfr 1 srf^Krfcr 1 1 3 ° 1 1

cTTiRWI^FRTTfT^ 1 sffT f %TPgcRft?T %TT I
STrqwftn^: 2 <KW af^r mv$ |R?II

tfRT CRTT pt pT^et' 1 y^Rdd I
gra^TRTW ficT^t gTpTzn%KTFr 2 m 3 p: 4 IR^II

3FT W gt^^T cRTT jtr I

cR^tt ^dl fptr: ycbl^f^- gfTRRT: 5fRRTRt gfToPRT: I R 3 II

II ffrT Rt^SJTPT: I!

432

Svetasvatara Upanisacl 6.23

is to be comprehended through the application of Samkhya, as God, he is freed from
all fetters.

14 There the sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars; there lightning does not
shine, of this common fire need we speak! Him alone, as he shines, do all things
reflect; this whole world radiates with his light.

15 He is the one goose in the middle of this universe. He himself resides as fire
within the ocean. Only when a man knows him does he pass beyond death; there is
no other path for getting there.

16 He is the creator of all; the knower of all; his own source of birth; the knower; the
architect of time; the one without qualities; the one with all knowledge; the Lord of
both the primal source and of individual souls; the ruler over the qualities; and the
cause of liberation from, remaining within, and bondage to the rebirth cycle.

17 He who is one with him, immortal, abiding as the Lord, the knower, present
everywhere, and the protector of this universe — he rules this living world eternally.
There is no other cause to becoming the Lord.

18 Who at first created the brahman and delivered to him the Vedas; who manifests
himself by his own intelligence — in that God do I, desirous of liberation, seek ref-
uge—

19 in him, who, like a fire whose fuel is spent, is without parts, inactive, tranquil,
unblemished, spotless, and the highest dike to immortality.

20 Only when people will be able to roll up the sky like a piece of leather will suf-
fering come to an end, without first knowing God.

21 By the power of his austerities and by the grace of God, the wise Svetasvatara
first came to know brahman and then proclaimed it to those who had passed beyond
their order of life as the highest means of purification that brings delight to the
company of seers.

22 This supreme secret was proclaimed during a former age in the Vedanta. One
should never disclose it to a person who is not of a tranquil disposition, or who is
not one’s son or pupil.

23 Only in a man who has the deepest love for God, and who shows the same love
toward his teacher as toward God, do these points declared by the Noble One shine
forth.

The end of the Svetasvatara Upanisad.

TEN

Mundaka Upanisad

The Mundaka Upanisad does not form part of a larger Vedic text, although tradition
ascribes it to the Atharvaveda. This ascription, however, should not be taken too
seriously, because most later Upanisads that did not form part of any other vedic
collection were, almost by default, ascribed to the Atharvaveda.

The title “Mundaka” has been the subject of some discussion. It literally means
“shaven” or “shaven-headed.” On the basis of this title, some have suggested that
the MuU was composed by and/or intended for shaven-headed ascetics. They have
interpreted the “head- vow” ( sirovrata ) mentioned at the conclusion of the Upanisad
as a reference to the shaving of the head and as another indication that the text was
meant for ascetics. Although such an interpretation is plausible, especially in light
of the MuU’s antiritual attitude and its use of the terms yati, probably in the sense of
ascetic (MuU 3.1.5; 3.2.6), and samnyasa, in the sense of ascetic renunciation
(MuU 3.2.6), I do not think it is certain. The text also uses the term mundaka for
“chapter,” clearly an unusual term.

More than any other Upanisad, the MuU engages in a direct and frontal attack
against both vedic ritualism and the vedic texts that embody the ritual tradition. It
establishes a clear distinction between a lower class of religious documents, the old
vedic texts and ancillary literature, and a higher class consisting of texts that teach
the imperishable brahman and contain the knowledge passed down in a tradition
reaching back to Brahman (here as God) himself. It is this higher knowledge that
MuU refers to as “Vedanta” (3.2.6), one of the earliest recorded use of this signifi-
cant term.

434

Mundaka Upanisad

C ONTENTS

1-6 The higher and the lower types of knowledge
7-9 Path of rites and the path of knowledge
1-13 (same topic continued)

All beings originate from the primeval Person
Description of brahman

The way one can perceive brahman

^TT R«nr: FRrgcf

f^wr Wr wtft %rr I

o

ft wigRraf ^f^wiciwr 1
amk 2 ^issgw w 1 1? 1 1

mM rt Herder ^rr

m^r err q^rraifl ^ 1 I

?r ftrsrjw f<wiw 3 ar? -

TORIFT I Rl I

#T^t f t" '^gRIT^^T I £pf^Tf wfr f^WT

RrW RRcftRr IUII

cR# W F^TTR I I - tf^cT^ ifrT F FT ^ SfliRq! Sf^rT tRT
^RFRT R" IUII

cRTRRT ql <ReMl oillcfR^T Rr?tF tS^t

^frfcTwf^rfcr | 3TR- qrr W FT^RRftPT^ IIHII

ar^Rtt ckmi^rrr; I

Rnj ?r#n?r gg<Rt

rRSRT ^^diTlPr hRh^PcI eD<I: I U 1 1

g 5 Rf xr
w c[i^rnfrwr: FRraf^r I
W R?T : 2 gWc^IF#nRr 3

cTRT^TORRRcicfl^ f^grr I |V9| I

FTW #q?T sfW cRfRrfFRTRfr I

436

MUNDAKA 1

Brahma arose as the first among gods,
as the creator of all,
as the guardian of the world.

To Atharvan, his firstborn son, he disclosed
the knowledge of brahman,
of all knowledge the root.

2 The knowledge of brahman,
which Brahma taught him —
both the higher and the lower —

Atharvan of old disclosed to Aiigir,

Angir, to Bharadvaja Satyavaha,

Bharadvaja, to Atigiras.

3 Saunaka, a wealthy householder, once went up to Ahgiras in the pre-
scribed manner and asked: “What is it, my lord, by knowing which a man
comes to know this whole world?” 4 This is what Angiras told him.

Two types of knowledge a man should learn — those who know brahman
tell us— the higher and the lower. 5 The lower of the two consists of the Rg-
veda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, the Atharvaveda, phonetics, the ritual sci-
ence, grammar, etymology, metrics, and astronomy; whereas the higher is that
by which one grasps the imperishable.

6 What cannot be seen, what cannot be grasped,

without color, without sight or hearing,
without hands or feet;

What is eternal and all-pervading,

extremely minute, present everywhere —

That is the immutable,

which the wise fully perceive.

7 As a spider spins out threads, then draws them into itself;

As plants sprout out from the earth;

As head and body hair grows from a living man;

So from the imperishable all things here spring.

[Ritualists argue:]

8 Through heat brahman is built up;

thereby food is produced.

437

1 . 1.8

The Early Upanisads

SWTcSTFTt TFT: FoT c4lcbl: x| I gd d I \<£ 1 1

F: stMH*} cHT: I

ctftKcK tmt mw ^srwcT I Kll

1 1 STW: 11W: 1 1

cKc1<r<!rM'H' I

cTT^T 4?TRTf ^iT HclcTlft' I
dHNPT f4w FFTWTT

TTq- Sf: qT^]-; g^cTW 3 c5t^r 1 1 ? 1 1

W ^TFcT nfcp. I

1 sfciwrcr 2 I KM

* rf & rft ) gw *i < k 1 m r 4 *i wr :

wraw Trfcrf^m Rt t 2 xr l
|cFT 4

STIFFRIfTW M3M

cblc^l cb<le51 xf FFKWT F

§e5tftcTT FT xT §OTFWf I
Fgfcjf^ f^W# 1 F ^4t

^cJFFTRT ?fcT FK f^T: M'S'll

w^Tcy xfifcRfr -fjT^FrT 2
cT ^WfcTT: ^FTt

TEW ^FTT qfrK^Kf^WTF: MHM
IJ^ftirr 1 d'HIgd'M: ^d4d:

^irf^^'FR" 2 c|^Pd I

438

Mundaka Upanisacl

1 . 2.6

From food comes breath,
mind, truth, and worlds,
and immortality in rites.

9 He is omniscient, he knows all;
knowledge is his austerity.

From him is born this brahman,

as also name, appearance, and food.

Here is the truth:

The rites that the wise poets
saw in the vedic formulas,
are stretched in many ways
across the three Vedas —

Perform them always,

you who long for the truth;

That’s your path to the world of those
Who correctly perform the rites.

2 When the flame flickers after the fire is lit,

let him then make his offerings,
between the two pourings of ghee.

3 A man’s daily fire sacrifice that remains

without the new-moon, the full-moon,
the four-month or harvest sacrifice;
or without offerings to guests;

That is not performed, or performed
without an offering to all the gods,
or without following the rules;

Will rob him of his worlds, up to the very seventh.

4 The Black, the Terrible, the Swift-as-the-mind,

The Blood-red, the Smoke-colored, the Sparkling,
And the glittering Goddess —

These are the seven flickering tongues of flame.

5 When a man moves within these,

as they are shining bright,
receiving oblations offered at the proper time;
Then, as sunbeams, these carry him
to where the king of gods resides,
the only place to reside.

6 “Come! Come!” say the oblations shining bright,

As they carry their offerer on the sun’s rays of light.

439

1 . 2.6

The Early Upanisads

fsfclT

^ W: 3W: I K 1 1

&FT fffi" 3FJ5T qfTW

sr^iotew % I

ITcf^fr ^sf^H^Prf fst

ct l |V9 1 1

3lf%WFTlWt 4d«F! r :

^r^fkr: qf^cTfl^JTRT: I
^ff^lFTT!: qfM^r ^ST

3 F#t=T •flRFFTT JFTraT: \\6\\

srf^WFTT ^pTT ^cFTHI'

<FT ^cTFlt ^fatFdftr 2 3W: I
zr^f^fr ^ g^irf^T wm

rlFF^T: #T?5t^T?aw^ IKII

V'-'fir? F^TFFTT erf^S- SF^T: I

T1WT cp& ^ ^Fclt 3T MV

cFfM ^T fTWFRwr’

•o

5TTFTr f%rcfr Vf# w: I
^ MTT: SRT^r

WPJcf: *T Mf fFZFTiW 1 1 n 1 1

cil c 6>l rt F4fFdl'isn^ u ri
f^t^FTFTTFTfFT^cf: ^cFf 1 I
cfferFF# *T

uftcMifa: s sfrf^nr MM f; \\VR\\

*T f^RTO^FT FTKFF
S^TFMrTFr SHlfodlF I

440

Mundaka Upanisad

1.2.13

They praise him, telling him flattering things:

“This is yours, this brahman’s world.

Built by good deeds and rites well done.”

[The Author replies:]

7 Surely, they are floating unanchored,

these eighteen forms of the sacrifice,
the rites within which are called inferior.

The fools who hail that as the best,

return once more to old age and death.

8 Wallowing in ignorance, but calling themselves wise,

thinking they are learned, the fools go around.
Hurting themselves badly, like a group of blind men,
led by a man who is himself blind.

9 Wallowing in ignorance time and again,

the fools imagine, “We have reached our aim!”
Because of their passion, they do not understand,
these people who are given to rites.

Therefore, they fall, wretched and forlorn,
when their heavenly stay comes to a close.

10 Deeming sacrifices and gifts as the best,

the imbeciles know nothing better.

When they have enjoyed their good work,
atop the firmament.

They return again to this abject world.

11 But those in the wilderness, calm and wise,

who live a life of penance and faith,
as they beg their food;

Through the sun’s door they go, spotless,
to where that immortal Person is,
that immutable self.

12 When he perceives the worlds as built with rites,

A Brahmin should acquire a sense of disgust —

“What’s made
can’t make
what is unmade!”

To understand it he must go, firewood in hand,
to a teacher well versed in the Vedas,
and focused on brahman.

13 To that student of tranquil mind and calm disposition,

who had come to him in the right manner,
that learned man faithfully imparted,

441

1.2.13

The Early Upanisads

^ fiw

5rmw cfr cix^cil sr^ifaejiF II
1 1 ?fcT ftcffr: 1 1

II ffcT UW II

cRcloHcM^f I

W ^ 41 H 1 01 1 =1 ct^Fgfe'f !':

HfW: SWt 9W: I
cPTT^Rlftf^TT: #RT

SRFRf cTT II? 1 1

f^fr 3W: ^RTfJT^RRr 1 I

3T5TFfr fW: pff W^TOTOT: 2 TC 1 1^1 1

TTcfFTF^TFr^ STFit TFT: S' I

w ^r^sfifcRTT: 1 (^W STtIM' 1 1^1 1

«rf^at s<§4T

fer: ssr^t mfJ^cna' ^t: I

cfFp 5TRfr f^FRFT

t|# 'jMf 1 #T F^TTFRIW 2 I IV 1 1

rfFTT^T: flf^rat SFT

^RTFFf^T 3TtW3T: 5f^TTR; I
gFFT^cf: feytrfcT Aftf^cW

W^t: WZl: IlKlI

cTFnf^T: FFFTff^ 1 4^TT

SW3ST F? sf>cTSt I

W® WTFRET 2 c5FST:

#tfr m ss?r i k 1 1

442

Mundaka Upanisad

2.1.6

The knowledge of brahman,

by which he understood that Person —
the true, the imperishable.

MUNDAKA 2

Here is the truth:

As from a well-stoked fire sparks fly by the thousands,
all looking just like it.

So from the imperishable issue diverse things,
and into it, my friend, they return.

2 That Person, indeed, is divine,

he has no visible form;

He is both within and without,
unborn, without breath or mind;

He is radiant, and farther than
the farthest imperishable.

3 From him issue breath and mind,

and all the organs,
wind, fire, water, and space.

And the earth that bears everything.

4 His head is the fire, his eyes the sun and moon;

His ears are the quarters; his speech the Vedas disclosed;
His breath is the wind, his heart the universe;
and with his feet he is, indeed,
the inmost self of every being.

5 From him comes the fire whose firewood is the sun;
From the moon comes rain; plants grow upon earth;

And in the woman the man spills his seed —

From the Person have issued many creatures.

6 Rg verses, Saman chants, Yajus formulas.

As well as sacrificial consecrations:

from him do they spring;

All sacrifices, rites, sacrificial gifts:
from him do they spring;

The year, the sacrificer, and the worlds —

Worlds where the sun and the moon shine —
from him do they spring.

443

2.1.7

The Early Upanisads

cTFn^T ^cfT 3pT

erw igw: q?rat ^rff^r I

mWRTfr dW

ssrsr m sriRpf fate 1 1 V9 1 1

W RFTT: dFTT?r

dHlffT: Hf^TET: OTT f^T: I
dF ^ SF1T

jfiw i''%riT: ff err \ u\\

3RT: PRT f^RW df

•o

aTFfTc^T^rr 1 telcf: f 4^HI: I
■FcTF fft 3TW£Rt rtst

4% ufifRTOrr raw IRII

gW tfa^ 1 f=Nr cfFt F$T WJdV I
i^crat sra f%1%cT 3?w

SflsfaOTflfaT fafaRxfr?' FW 1 1 ? 0 1 1

1 1 ^r w: *<RF: 1 1

arriV R^H-cf 31 NWIH F?cMc^4dWFf4?rF I
t3^FdFFfM4FxF F^WFFTF F^F^FFF I

qt fafrRTF^f^ra imwi^ lull

xr i|[^H^chi fai%cTT tflfaHF I
cltrf^it F^T F y|U|W| Rl^T: 2 I
d^doHrM d^cf d£<&c4 Fl*F faQi IRII

TTITFt

5r: fiwr 1 fa%dr ^Era^fRr 2 I

<o

ftw d^i^ddR 4wr

c5^T cT^Wt FW f4f^ 3 IRII

444

Mundaka Upanisad

2.2.3

7 Gods, celestial beings, humans, beasts, and birds:
from him in diverse ways they spring;

In-breath and out-breath, barley and rice,
penance, faith, and truth,
the chaste life and the rules of rites:
from him do they spring.

8 The seven breaths, the seven flames,

the seven oblations, the seven pieces of wood:
from him do they spring.

These seven worlds in which the breaths move
as they lay hidden, seven by seven, within the cave:
from him do they spring.

9 From him spring all oceans and hills;

From him flow rivers of all types;

From him spring all plants and the sap by which
he abides in things as their inmost self.

10 All this is simply that Person —

rites, penance, prayer (brahman), the highest immortal.
One who knows this, my friend, hidden within the cave,
cuts the knot of ignorance in this world.

Though manifest, it is lodged in the cave,
this vast abode named “Aged.”

In it are placed this whole world;

In it are based what moves or breathes —

what moves or breathes, what blinks the eye,
what’s most desirable, beyond perception,
what people desire most.

2 What is smaller than the smallest and intensely bright,

in which rest these worlds and those who live therein —
It is the imperishable brahman ;

It is the breath, it is speech and mind;

It is the truth, the immortal.

It is what we must strike, my friend.

Strike it!

3 Take, my friend, this bow,

this great weapon of upanisad'.

Place veneration on it
as the whetted arrow;

Stretch it with the thought fixed on the nature of that;

That very imperishable is the target, my friend.

Strike it!

445

2.2.4

The Early Upanisads

y u l c Tl SJJ: 5 RT "^TToRT ?i^l dgSd^'^dcV I
3fMfTT ^go!T SRdTFFqt vr^cT I |x| |

3flct TFT: 5#^ ef: 3 I

cT^F ^FFT 4 anrfTHTRn"

dTFT ^TcT: I IK 1 1

3 rt w ^prnfr 1 dim ww ^rm:

*T ^pJT 2 STFFTFr: 3 I

aS &m*T anr^TT

mfer W 5 'TRTF cTW: qWTcT ll^ll

f: e%: 1 d4f^r$q 2 d%dT gfa I

^JliFJT'rRT 4 ifctfed': I Ivs al | 5

F-ffJFT: arw^k^crr

Rfcffecftsir df^OTq I
dftm^r qf^T^ff^r gftqr

arn^mtd^d' dfedifci" Ilv9bll

firaff d^dsidi: I

Sftddt WFT cbdiftl d%T^T RdWt \ \£\\

ft^FT xt dartr sir Pimm I
^ ^q]Riqi ^IdW^lcdf^cO IKII

t mr g^ff FifcT 2 t q^dRm

IdT f%dt FTf% ^cfts^m%: I

446

Mundaka Upanisad

2 . 2.10

4 The bow is OM, the arrow’s the self,

The target is brahman, they say.

One must strike that undistracted.

He will then be lodged in that,

Like the arrow, in the target,

5 That alone is the self, you must understand,

On which are woven the earth,

intermediate region, and sky,
the mind, together with all breaths.

Put away other words, for this
is the dike to the immortal.

6 Where the veins come together,

like spokes on the hub,

In it that one moves, taking
birth in many ways.

“It is OM” — meditate thus on this self;

Good luck to you, as you cross
beyond the darkness!

7a Who knows all, who observes all,

to whom belongs all greatness on earth —

He is this self in the divine fort of brahman,
having a secure footing in the sky.

7b Consisting of thought, controller of body and breaths;
he has a secure footing in food,
after having settled in the heart.

By perceiving him the wise see

what becomes visible as the immortal
in the form of bliss.

8 When one sees him —

both the high and the low;

The knot of one’s heart is cut,
all doubts are dispelled;
and his works come to an end.

9 In that high golden container is brahman,

stainless and partless,
the brilliant light of lights!

This is what they know,
those who know the self.

10 There the sun does not shine,

nor the moon and the stars;

There lightning does not shine,

of the common fire need we speak!

447

2 . 2.10

The Early Upanisads

cFFT STRT'H^lfci F#

cR^T *ITOT ?T^!t f^TlfcT 1 1 ? o 1 1

sffT

^>7 ^I^Id^IrKd I

3iwref =£T a^ct 4

ll??ll

1 1 ftcffcr : 1 1

II ffcT ftcfft" f^l^T II

gr 1 §Wr frgwr tmi-m

H^TH' f^t I

cFff^T: f^ra - SlftT 2

3FP3?Rfr 3rf^r 1 1? 1 1

mpr 3^fr f^mt

srftw’ sfrdfcf ffPTFf: I

^ Z^T q^rfcT 2 3F?FftW

sm HfcmdWcT cfid^fl^: I R 11

W m: d^Tct

cbdU^M RW ^FTtf^FT |

cf^T f^SRT"

fzR3^FT: qddt >H i J-M H^fcT' 1 1 1 ^ 1 1

9FTT #r ZT: 1 y4^1^nfcT

f4d IdPdgk'FTF rldlfd c ll'{l I
STTFrafte- 3TTFRfrT:

irq- 4 sT^rt^f cft& 5 : IIV||

Fdfa' eJ^FcTWT 3TTcdT

TT&TW&T s)$ld5 u I fd did I

448

Muticlaka Upanisad

3.1.5

Him alone, as he shines, do all things reflect;
this whole world radiates with his light.

1 1 Brahman alone here extends to the east;
brahman, to the west;
brahman , to the south, to the north,
brahman extends above and below;

It is brahman alone that extends
over this whole universe,
up to its widest extent.

MUNDAKA 3

Two birds, companions and friends,
nestle on the very same tree.

One of them eats a tasty fig;
the other, not eating, looks on.

2 Stuck on the very same tree,

one person grieves, deluded
by her who is not the Lord;

But when he sees the other,

the contented Lord — and his majesty —
his grief disappears.

3 When the seer sees that Person,

the golden-colored, the creator, the Lord,
as the womb of brahman ;

Then, shaking off the good and the bad,
the wise man becomes spotless,
and attains the highest identity.

4 It is breath that is visible in all beings —

Be a man who perceives, who knows this,

and thereby a man who outtalks;
a man who dallies with the self,
who finds pleasure in the self,
and thus an active man.

He is brahmanl

and of those who know brahman.

He is the best!

5 By truth can this self be grasped —

by austerity, by right knowledge,
and by a perpetually chaste life.

449

3 . 1.5

The Early Upanisads

3RT:5lf(t (cl 441 %

t q^rftr mm llgll

nw4F wfr 1 mg#

PctT Pm f^Tcfr 4wr: I
3 fnTTWTT

w nwcnm Pm f^rnw IKII
ggw dtoq ■hP^'vM'^h

gww cTc^wrt (tinier l
eiR^iPciti f

q$q[^c(|ci f4%t ggrwr I (vs 1 1
m mgm girt' mft mm
mtttFiw m4m m I
fTFIWftn (t^SFemFT

cTcTFr 1 cr mmi f^r^my 2 ©whh: I \<c 1 1

o

rgtsgwrr term tftmnr
nftwFr: qmmr tittm I
rrrtf^tr ntntei mrnt

(tmrctm mw I K 1 1

4" t <tm wot 4(tni(4

ft^OTOT otrotT man wott I
ci cT <41 =b mrt cTW 'nidid

OTOTOTeOTT fftt^fermPT: 1 1 ? o 1 1

c\

1 1 ffeT ROTT: 1 1

p 4%TcWi stfW

mr fttr (%1%cr infer I
wimi gw t fiwiw

rf ^m4?r^(rimfitr 41m 1 1 ^ 1 1

chi dim mTWcT WW:

F wnit^fmfi' OTT cHT I

450

Mumlaka Upanisad

3.2.2

It lies within the body, brilliant and full of light,
which ascetics perceive,
when their faults are wiped out.

6 The real alone he wins, never the unreal.

Along the real runs the path to the gods,

On which the seers proceed, their desires fulfilled.

To where that highest treasure of the real is found.

7 It is large, heavenly, of inconceivable form;

yet it appears more minute than the minute.

It is farther than the farthest,
yet it is here at hand;

It is right here within those who see,
hidden within the cave of their heart.

8 Not by sight, not by speech, nor by any other sense;

nor by austerities or rites is he grasped.

Rather the partless one is seen by a man, as he meditates,
when his being has become pure,
through the lucidity of knowledge.

9 By thought is this subtle self to be known,

into which breath has entered in five ways;

By the senses is laced the entire thought of people,
in which, when it is pure, this self becomes disclosed.

10 Whatever world a man, whose being is purified,

ponders with his mind,

and whatever desires he covets;

that very world, those very desires, he wins.

A man who desires prosperity, therefore,
should worship one who knows the self.

He knows this highest abode of brahman ,
placed in which shines everything bright.

The wise men, free from desires,
who worship the Person,
go beyond what is here bright.

2 One who hankers after desires in his thoughts,
is born here and there through his desires.

But when one’s desires are fulfilled,
and one’s self is made perfect,
all his desires disappear in this very world.

451

3 . 2.2

The Early Upanisads

^cTToCFR^

gf^cM^r ffth IUII

qrWrRT

T YfW F I

fjcf ctr otb;

cR% 3HFTT 1 fqTf^ 2 c^f ^FT 1 1 3 1 1
FRFITFTl sIcifTl'H cFFf

T =ET FWrNFt cil^fe^ld 1 I
ii^Tlt4?!cr f%RT

W&W 3TTFTT f%5TcT SPM 11*11

“fciTFTFfr ^ftcRPTT: 5r5TFriT: I
cT F#>T F^cT: sfkr

FtFTFTFT: <H 4^41^51^ I Ml

'O

t c; I FTf^f R^ri^cTFfr:

|pg^W: I

cT c KIt1 ! ^I<^

qrr^cTr: qf^zrf^ref- IKII
3Tc(T: ^T: TVMctfr Vifaw
YFTW Ft yf^cTTF I
f^TFFFra" snw

ycj l^c^SHctPcI I fV9 I (

w fst: grgt

3RF JI^'PrT %w I

cFTT %MrWT#3^:

qwrr^fl'Yfcr Roiin i i^i i

F FT f t - cRFFT SljT tcT F^fcr I Hl^ia^o^cY F^fcT I cRfcT
## fndrT 'TFFFT ^glil'Pwt (^tbl^cfr FFfcf 1 1 K 1 1 cf^cIfFT^pM I

fern^Tf : ^1%FT s4£)P)W:

ipFT f^cf 1 l^ff 2 W^T: 3 |

452

Mundaka Upanisad

3 . 2.10

3 This self cannot be grasped,

by teachings or by intelligence,
or even by great learning.

Only the man he chooses can grasp him,
whose body this self chooses as his own.

4 This self cannot be grasped,

by a weak man or through carelessness,
by austerity or by one without the marks.

But when a wise man strives by these means,
this self enters his brahman- abode.

5 The seers, sated with knowledge,

when they have attained him,
become free from passion and tranquil,
and their selves are made perfect.

The wise, their selves controlled,
when they attain him altogether,
he who is present in All,
they enter into that very All.

6 The ascetics who have firmly determined their goal

through a full knowledge of the Vedanta,
have their being purified
by the discipline of renunciation.

In the worlds of brahman, at the time of the final end,
having become fully immortal,
they will all be fully liberated.

7 The fifteen parts have retired to their foundations;

And all the senses, to the respective divinities;

Works and the self consisting of knowledge —

all unite in the highest immutable.

8 As the rivers flow on and enter into the ocean

giving up their names and appearances;

So the knower, freed from name and appearance,

reaches the heavenly Person, beyond the very highest.

9 When a man comes to know that highest brahman , he himself becomes
that very brahman. A man without the knowledge of brahman will not be born
in his family. He passes beyond sorrow, he passes beyond evil. Freed from the
knots of his heart, he will become immortal. 10 This point has been made in the
Rgvedic verse;

Who are versed in the Vedas and perform rites,

Who are grounded in brahman,

Who offer for themselves, with faith in the lone seer,
to these alone let a man teach

453

3.2.10

The Early Upanisads

I I ffcT fM^T: WE: 1 1

II ffcT c[cftr II

454

Mutidaka Upanisad

3.2.11

this knowledge of brahman,

So long as they have duly performed the head-vow.

1 1 Here is the truth that the seer Angiras proclaimed of old. A man who has not
performed the head- vow may not learn it.

Homage to the highest seers!

Homage to the highest seers!

The end of the Mundaka Upanisad.

455

ELEVEN

Prasna Upanisad

The Prasna Upanisad consists of the sage Pippalada’s answers to six questions
posed by six learned Brahmins. The title of the Upanisad, Prasna (“question”), is
derived from these questions, and each of its six chapters is also called a prasna or
“question.” This setting appears to be borrowed from the similar format in SB
10.6.1 and CU 5.11. Although the questions are diverse, they all focus on the cen-
trality of breath within the cosmology and soteriology of the text.

The Prasna is traditionally ascribed to the Atharvaveda, and the name of the
teacher of PU, Pippalada, connects it to the Paippalada branch of the Atharvaveda.
The PU, nevertheless, has not come down to us as part of a larger Atharvavedic
Brahmana. Just like the earlier verse Upanisads, the PU was composed, in all like-
lihood, as an independent text, possibly with a loose connection to the Atharvavedic
tradition. Atharvavedic ascriptions are somewhat suspect because tradition consid-
ers almost all late Upanisads, beginning with the Mundaka, as belonging to the
Atharvaveda.

C ONTENTS

1

The origin of creatures: creation of substance and lifebreath by Prajapati
2

Superiority of lifebreath over other faculties
3

How breath travels about within the body

456

Prasna JJpanisad

4

Explanation of dream and dreamless sleep

5

Meditation on the syllable OM

6

Sixteen parts of a man

457

^ ^TRgW: fKw dcdddd: Rptroft 1 ^T dTOT: cRde^STPytflddt
t^: cfwft IrT ifiw WPlW: TO ^fn^PTFIT: I

W ^ t cRTTf WTcftPT ^ f Hf^RqTW WW - rt 1 1 ? 1 1

c!W gr I *rt w dw r$rq2lw s srw to wqW I

TOTIcTOT 5P5n^5E5cf I srft TT# ^ ^ <W ffcT I R 1 1

3PT qwft TOTOTOFT TOTTOT FTOgr I ddd^dl f ETT ^RT: TOT: TOTTOT
ffcT IUII

Trot f ftw I TOrwfr t TOmfcr: I sr 1 ?nfew I *r tottotot *r
PTfqgrwr^ 1 ^r tt tot 3fcr I i^cfr % ^gm tot: ^stct ^r l |vi i
srif^d-fi ?■ t - tott tPRct wron I qftntr q^ror# topt# ; TORcf ^r l

ddHMpRd ^T: IIRII

STOlftTO ^RTcSTT^r 1 ft$T Sff^llcT cRT TOTOTOFTFT hRttoT I

wcfi-4i wit wcrorfefr tot# TOTOrofcr ctr

ddi-yi-Jn-f qftqj #f#Ent I Kll t-^roror ftw: TOtftRRTOT# l

d^d^qi^thd I KM

$R U I 'dld^'^d
TOW ^licRcp dH-rld I
WTOftTO STcraT #TFT:

TOT: TOTOTgTOc#T I KM

wrorr t TOiqfcr: I totto# #Jtto ^ I cr# f t dR^'ig#

cj^dfd c^R Krld <t TOrRfdd t d cild'- , dRTO i ( r c)' | d“ T^ - gr^TTOt-tf I cldH itcT

TOW:‘ TOTWTT tfciM^'-tr I T?T % f idM: ttjTOT: I K II

stotoRto rFraT totot f^qRTiwR d Py t^iR-droProdPr I qcri;

458

PRASNA 1

Sukesa Bharadvaja, Saibya Satyakama, SauryayanT Gargya, Kausalya Asvalayana,
Bhargava Vaidarbhi, and Kabandhi Katyanana — now these were men devoted to
brahman , grounded in brahman , and in search of the highest brahman. They went
to the Venerable Pippalada carrying firewood in their hands, thinking: “Surely, he
will teach us all that.”

2 The seer told them: “Live here for another year practicing austerity, chastity,
and faith. Ask all the questions you want, and, if I know, I will answer them all.”

3 Then Kabandhi Katyanana came up to him and asked: “Lord, from where do
these creatures come?”

4 He told Kabandhi: “The Lord of Creatures [Prajapati], naturally, has a yearn-
ing for creatures. So he heated himself through exertion. When he had heated him-
self through exertion, he produced a couple — substance and lifebreath — thinking,
‘These two will turn out creatures for me in many different ways.’

5 “Lifebreath is clearly the sun, while the moon is simply substance. And this
whole world — both what has form and what is without form — is substance. Sub-
stance, therefore, is a form.

6 “Now, when the sun, as it rises, enters the eastern quarter, it thereby gathers
the eastern lifebreaths in its rays. Likewise, when it illuminates the southern, the
western, and the northern quarters, when it illuminates the nadir, the zenith, and the
intermediate directions, when it illumines the whole world, it thereby gathers all the
lifebreaths in its rays. 7 Here rises the fire common to all as the dazzling lifebreath
and fire! The same thing has been expressed in a Rgvedic verse:

8 Golden, dazzling, fiery;

the light, the highest course,
the one, the glowing —

Here rises the sun with a thousand rays,
moving in a hundred ways,
the lifebreath of created beings.

9 “Prajapati is the year. It has two courses, the southern and the northern. Now,
those who venerate thus: ‘The best action is offerings to gods and priests!’ win only
the lunar world. They are the ones who return again. Therefore, the seers here who
yearn for children proceed along the southern course. This course of the fathers,
clearly, is substance.

10 “Those who seek the self by means of austerity, chastity, faith, and knowl-
edge, on the other hand, proceed by the northern course and win the sun. Clearly, it

459

1.10

The Early Upanisads

JTrWFTFTR cFFTcTF ^cTWl 'if'd rTOWf 1 t^dFlId fc#T #R#T: I

d#Y 1 1 ? o 1 1

f#dT gT^TT^f^
f#T anf : it 3Tf - g#f#W I
31## 3i^r f¥wi

^ 3TTf##clf## 1 1 ? ? 1 1

5# # 5T5TFTfcf: ! 3W fW ^ gjuf; | WWT:

Spf fcRf#FT IIHII

STflTT# 1 # aWTfcT: I cRTTf^T 3FTT 'CT##d ##: | 571# 3T 13# 5W-
# f#YT ^TT I sT^###’ ^TT #g3q#T 1 1 ^ 1 1

31# t R3TN#f: I cTcfT f # cTtcT: I cfFTlf^r: 5T3TT: MW ## 1 1 ?Y| |
cl# f cidMIHfasId # f#fT3cWF# I

ch $$-1 cil<#l #YT dll

§1^x1# afcfferlJf 1 1 ?Hl I

#TFnfr fcHdl q^leildd

T #J T w #fcT 1 1 ? % 1 1

II Wl: W: II

ST^T 1# ¥n## t^f#: I ^qq.^vrilb- ^rn f^TRYF# 1 | cFcR

iTdiwT?PF# I w. gq^t ffcT 1 1 ? 1 1

cF# ?T fraTF I STTcbl# f dT ^ ## FldY^RTT: FTfT^:

#t# xT I # sq?Rqif#q##r I qq3d£|U|HW^ Z f^ETRYTHT: 3 1 1 R 1 1

cTFqf#5': 5TFT I ^T #FT1W ? T 1 I 31 £ # I cTdTS^qmdRTT a#r~

[dtiKdl^lid I ctSFI^sIHI 1 1 3 1 1

HIH 1 git^TJc^jW fq - I df#T^q3TTTcq#cl# H# d##Sl

yfeikid#' 1 n# ^ HTfcr^# 1 I crsRrr

q#R^w# 3 cT#w yfci^HFr 1 n#f ^ !##>;> yt 1 n# #r# xr I

# #tcTT: 5TFT Ill’ll

460

Prasna Upanisad

2.4

is the abode of lifebreaths; it is the immortal, free from fear; it is the highest course;
from it they do not return; and so, it is the final stoppage. On this there is this verse:

11 Some call him —

a father with five feet and twelve parts,
who dwells on the far side of the sky,
at the very source.

But others here call him —

the radiant one on the near side,
hitched to the one with seven wheels
and six spokes.

12 “Prajapati is the month. Substance is its dark fortnight, and lifebreath is its
bright fortnight. Therefore, people here who are seers perform sacrifices during the
bright fortnight, while others do so during the other fortnight.

13 “Prajapati is the day and night, of which lifebreath is the day and substance is
the night. So those who make love during the day spill their lifebreath, whereas
making love during the night is the same as observing chastity.

14 “Prajapati is food. From it comes semen; from semen are produced these
creatures. 15 So, those who undertake the vow of Prajapati produce a couple.

To them belong the world of brahman,
who practice chastity and austerity,
in whom truth is well established.

16 To them belongs that stainless world of brahman
in whom there is no crookedness,
no falsehood or deceit.”

PRASNA 2

Then Bhargava Vaidarbhi asked him: “Lord, just how many deities are there who
support a creature? Which of them, thus, become manifest? And which is the most
excellent of them?”

2 He told Bhargava: “Space is such a deity, and so are wind, fire, waters, earth,
speech, mind, sight, and hearing. As they become manifest, they say: ‘We are the
ones who shore up this reed and support it.’

3 “Lifebreath, the most excellent of them, told them: ‘Don’t delude yourself! It
is I who, dividing myself into five parts, shore up this reed and support it.’ But they
didn’t believe him. 4 So, out of pride, he started to set off. As he was setting off,
then, all the others set off, and as he was settling down, they all settled down. Just
as all the bees set off when the queen bee sets off, and settle down when she settles
down, so did speech, mind, sight, and hearing. Delighted, then, they praised the
lifebreath :

461

2.5

The Early Upanisads

gtototo'.' gif q^r qtofr iTPPTto cHP: I
to toto P W IlHlI

3rt to wto grnSt" to toftop I

PPT P|to Pltor W: to p‘ toT P I K 1 1

gwtoator to top towtor I

gw gw SFPrftoPT to toto to to tototor I Iv9i l

^Hlto* <q%PT: f^Tf PIT PiPT I

toto tor M¥T#rrr# toll

^pto mw tom toto toftor I
WWfft^r pto gPtW <5WTfcTPt qfcT: I Kl I

W mtopto tom: TTW ct WT: I
mpptototor pwipip totofcr 3 1 1 ? ° 1 1

^I?M towto’to ftwr WWrfcT: I

wmaw prtr: ftor m mtoto m 1 1 U 1 1

m ft ptoto toftor m to m p pto" I
pr p mto tom fto m pp toto ! in 1 1

srwto to to f%fto qtotomr I

top pm ppm tor 1 to p toil" p to II ? 3 ll

!l to top: W: II

462

Prasna Upanisad

2.13

5 This bums as fire — this as sun;

This as rain and Maghavan, this as wind;

This as earth and the divine substance;

As real and not-real;

And what is immortal.

6 Rg verses, Yajus formulas, and Saman chants;

The sacrifice, the Brahmin and Ksatriya ranks —

Everything is fixed on lifebreath,

As spokes on the hub.

7 You are Prajapati, you move in the womb;

it is also you who are born.

To you, Lifebreath, creatures bring tribute;
with the senses (prana) you dwell.

8 You are the best bearer of offerings to the gods.

You are the first oblation to the fathers.

You are the truth that the seers practiced,
the Atharvans and the Angirases.

9 O Lifebreath —

by your radiance you are Indra!
as the guardian you are Rudra!
as the sun you move in midspace;
you are the lord of lights!

10 O Lifebreath —

when you send down the rains,
these creatures of yours stand in joy,
thinking, ‘There’ll be
as much food as we want!’

" O Lifebreath —

you are the Vratya, you are the lone seer,
you are the eater of all, the lord of the household!
we are the ones who give you food;
you are our father, Matarisvan!

12 Your form that abides in speech,

Y our form in hearing and in sight,

Your form extended within the mind.

Make them all propitious!

Do not depart from us!

13 In the power of lifebreath is this whole world.

As also what exists in the third heaven.

Protect us, as a mother, her sons.

Grant us prosperity and wisdom.”

463

3.1

The Early Upanisads

3pt fr I to^t ^ rftt I

W¥PlM I 3TToRTT 3T af^WT <m mfci ^cf I I WW

^TfP#ra^ 3 I ^iwnoRf^ li?n

rfrt' *r fr^r I srfcT srai-^Ri I sifei^stftf^r I dWitsf

Si* 1 1^1 1

3noqr inf ginfr ^rRr^ I

^rtt Hdf^^icicFT I

1 1 ^ 1 1

wr m'\ fe* [flr^crTf^rj^w gcnr mm^TFr ?rrwi%fcr^?%^r

TTcFffisr RFf ^cf^I^ n lT^’ ? l^FFT 1 1*1 1

qTg^sqrt xr^:^ rm: ffr yifcFsfr 1 I tts^ g

wm^: I igr ^cr^cfw wt R^fcT I cwr^cfn wnf^tTi I \\\ I

sO

ff^ #r STTcRT I arf cT^W RT#TFT I dTOT 5T1T $ld^>'<fcWT: I gTF-
HfcIsfaHfcT: RfcRTTWH^tw?^ F^rT I ^ aTHSttfcT I Kl I
^FT: gw cftoF ^rfcT RFtT RTR^mw^rcT \ M\

snf^c^fr w t sfr^r: mr fpr ^pr sn^ra^^SFr. I pf^rf rt

^craT tRT JWPTTTTTRWW 2 I SFrUT R^iF-Rf: 3 <FT (RFFT: I

^Tg^TFT: \\6]\

cP3ft~ f SR 13^FT: I dFmgWRTcraT: I K 1 1

JTf^frF^T 1 RFWrarfrT I RMF^TOT gW: FiFTFHT WFTffeRcT
d^ffcT 1 1 ? o | j

ir gr i%Rnifr ^ t smt ^r^sgefr 1 F^rfer I cr^r 5 ‘F5faF 1 1 ? ? 1 1
^chRftriRV 1 frit f^rcF %r rfwt I

■o

smm ter riuihi f^rrargeFTg^

f^WRTgcFTgrr ffeT 1 1 HI I

SI ^feT grfN": W: II

464

Prasna Upanisad

3.12

PRASNA 3

Then Kausalya Asvalayana asked him: “Lord, from what does this lifebreath arise?
How does it enter this body? How does it divide itself and settle down? By what
path does it set off? How is it designated outside the body ( atman ) and how within
the body?”

2 He told Kausalya: “You ask too many questions! But since you are a very
eminent Brahmin, I will answer you.

3 “The lifebreath here arises from the self (atman).

As this shadow here, upon a man.

So this mind is stretched upon lifebreath;

And it enters by a path created by the mind.

4 “As only a sovereign king appoints administrators, telling them, ‘You govern
these villages, and you govern these other villages,’ in just the same way the life-
breath here assigns the other breaths to their respective places. 5 The in-breath set-
tles in the anus and the sexual organ, while the lifebreath itself settles in sight and
hearing through the mouth and nostrils. The link-breath ( sarnana ), on the other
hand, settles in the midregion, for it makes the food that has been offered alike
(sama). And from it arise these seven flames here.

6 “The self (atman) resides within the very heart. There are a hundred and one
veins here in the body. Each of them branch into a hundred more, and each of these
branches into seventy-two thousand more. Along these veins travels the link-breath.
7 Now, the up-breath rises up along one of these and conducts a person to a good
world if he has done good deeds, to a bad world if he has done bad deeds, and to the
world of men if he has done both.

8 “Now, the sun rises as the external lifebreath, for this conforms to the life-
breath residing within sight. The deity in the earth — that deity is there on account of
the in-breath of a person. The space that is in between is the link-breath, and the
wind is the inter-breath.

9-tO“The up-breath is fire. Therefore, when one’s fire is extinguished, one re-
turns again to the lifebreath with the faculties uniting in the mind and with whatever
thought one then has. United with heat, then, the lifebreath, together with the self,
leads him to the world that accords with his conception.

1 1 “When a man knows this and thus understands the lifebreath, his line of
progeny will not be cut off, and he will become immortal. On this there is this
verse:

12 The origin, entrance, position,

the fivefold expansion of lifebreath;
how it relates to what’s in the body —

A man who knows this becomes immortal.”

465

4.1

The Early Upanisads

FF |f -Hi -qTi) u D" FF^f: Hy^ j FFF^d^F'gFQ cRffF <e4Hprl‘ I

FFFf^H^lil^f I FFF ITTf ^cn ^Fq-^f^r I FFtFFFF FFicT I cpfFTF

’ -O o

BTffM^cTT FFFftf^T 1 1 ? 1 1

F# F fTFTF I FFT FT^f FFFT: FFT Hd^HFl'-

FtTR^j- FT: gFrgFFFFF: 1 FFT^T f I FTF# Wt ^

ff^IffIcT I cFr crffr fftT f ^Ffrfcr f mfcr f McT f tffcT f

FJTf?t Hlf^cKrl FIFTf FIFFFcT F f^gFrT -l-UNcT Fl'ft cfl cF IF^Tcf I R 1 1

aFTIFF “.(M'd-F-vV FTFfcT I FlfFcFT W FT l^FRT STT^^FTfliFFFt
F^TcF I FI ufl-McT STFFFfFTIF^F: ‘ CTFT: 1 1 3 1 1

Fd-^FfhFq! F ltd TFIfcft' FF FFcftfcT FFTF: I FFT W FTF FFFTF: I
-F?.q^FF, •«>-,-: I F T[F FFFTFFfT^sffT FFFfcT I |V| I

FtF* ^F: Ftfr FflFTFF^FFfrT I Ft-FT f^FF^F^FfcT I fF : gcFlFT~
sfF^frfcT I ^Tf^W^F 5TFFJFF FF:FF: FfFgFFfcT I F^FF F FF
FTgF ^f^F^JcT w F5FRFF F# FSFfcT F^: F^rfcT IlKlI

F FF '^FFlf^Ft FFfcT I F^F ^F: FTPTF ’T^rfcT I FF
d%Tf^F>FffT tgTFjRF FFfcT I K II

F FFT FFF 1 FF#T FTFTfF FyfrFSFT HF f t FcF# FF FRFpT
dyld^rl 1 1^1 1

gfMt F gft#RTFT FTWTqlFIFT F ^FtFTFT F FTFFT FTFFIFT

FIFFFWTFFFFTFT F FTgTF ^TF F FtF F FtF^F F FTF F WF^F F
TF?F FFf^TFF F FPF F FR?ftTT°F F W F FFFF F fFfr FFTcFF
FtFFlWFFf^FFF F FTFF f^F^TcToF F FlFt F F Ft °F F W FFfcF
F iff^FcT FTSFT FlF^TFFm^cfcF F f^TF F ^Ff^ITFF F cldST
McfftrFF F Wm f^FRf^RFF F ll<ill

I^T % FFFT FtciT FTFT FT^FT WT FFgT FFT feWFTcFT JFF: I
F Ffe^R' FRFfr dMfcl^rT IKII

M <^3 1$1< yfdMtlcl I F FT if %■ FFFFFFFfTFTFtflF ?|TFFFT ^FFTT
FFT *W F F%: FFT FFfcT I F^F *FTfFT 1 1 ? o 1 1

466

Prasna Upanisad

4.10

PRASNA 4

Then SauryayanT Gargya asked him: “Lord, which are the ones that go to sleep
within a person here? Which are the ones that keep awake in him? Which of these
deities sees dreams? Who experiences this bliss? And which is the one in which all
these are established?”

2 He told SauryayanI: “As, when the sun is setting, all the rays of light gather
together within that glowing orb and shoot out again every time it rises, so, Gargya,
all of them gather together within the highest deity — the mind. As a result, a person
in that condition does not hear, does not see, does not smell, does not taste, does not
feel, does not speak, does not grasp, does not experience sexual pleasure, does not
excrete, and does not move about. About him people say: ‘He is asleep.’

3 “It is the fires that are the breaths which keep awake in this fort. Clearly, the
householder’s fire is this in-breath here, and the southern fire is the inter-breath.
Because of its being taken out (pranayana ) — since it is taken out of the house-
holder’s fire — the offertorial fire is the out-breath (prana). 4 The link-breath
(samana) gets its name from the fact that it makes these two offerings alike
(, sama ) — the exhalation and the inhalation. The patron of the sacrifice, clearly, is the
mind. The very fruit of the sacrifice is the up-breath, and every day it conducts the
patron of the sacrifice to brahman.

5 “There, in sleep, this deity experiences his greatness. He sees again whatever
he had seen before; he hears again the very things he has heard before; and he expe-
riences over again what he has experienced before in various places and in remote
regions. Being himself the whole world, he sees the whole world — things he has
seen and things he has not seen, things he has heard and things he has not heard,
things he has experienced and things he has not experienced, the real and the unreal.

6 “When, however, he is overpowered by heat, this deity does not see any
dreams here. Then, in this body there arises this bliss.

7 “As birds rest on the tree where they nest, so, my friend, all these rest on the
highest self (atmari) — 8 earth and the elements of earth; waters and the elements of
water; fire and the elements of fire; wind and the elements of wind; space and the
elements of space; sight and visible objects; hearing and aural objects; smell and
olfactory objects; taste and gustatory objects; touch and tactile objects; speech
and the objects of speech; hands and the objects that can be grasped; sexual organ
and objects that can be enjoyed; anus and what can be excreted; feet and objects
across which one can travel; mind and the objects of the mind; intellect and the ob-
jects of the intellect; the perception of ego and the objects falling under that percep-
tion; reason and the objects of reason; light and the objects that can be illuminated;
lifebreath and what it can support.

9 “This intelligent self, namely, the Person — who is really the one who sees,
feels, hears, smells, tastes, thinks, understands, and acts — rests on the highest, that
is, the imperishable self, lOand attains the highest, the imperishable.

“Whoever perceives that shining imperishable devoid of shadow, body, or

467

4.10

The Early Upanisads

f%Rw' gf :

cl^R" JRJ RT«T 3

R R%: R^-rf^tfcT 1 1 ?? 1 1

SI ^fcT W: SI

Prasna Upanisad

5.7

blood — whoever so perceives, my friend — knowing the whole, he becomes the
whole world. On this there is this verse:

1 1 That on which rest the breaths and beings,

and, with all the deities, the intelligent self;

Whoever knows that, my friend, as the imperishable;

He, knowing the whole world,

has entered the whole world indeed.”

PRASNA 5

Then Saibya Satyakama asked him: “Lord, if some man were to meditate on the
syllable OM [= AUM] until his death, what is the world that he would win through
that meditation?”

2 He told Saibya: “Satyakama, the syllable OM is clearly both the higher and the
lower brahman. Either of these two, therefore, can be attained through this same
medium by a man who knows it.

3 “If a man meditates on its first phoneme [A], he gets his knowledge just from
that; so he comes back to earth very quickly and is led to the human world by the
Rg verses. There, possessing a natural propensity for austerity, chastity, and faith,
he enjoys greatness.

4 “If, on the other hand, a man becomes mentally absorbed in the first two pho-
nemes [AU], he reaches the intermediate region and is led up to the lunar world by
the Yajus formulas. After enjoying sovereign power in the lunar world, he returns.

5 “A man who meditates on that highest person by means of this very syllable
OM with all three of its phonemes [AUM], on the contrary, enters into the effulgence
in the sun. He becomes released from evil, just like a snake from his slough. He is
led to the world of brahman by the Saman chants and beholds the fort-dwelling per-
son far beyond this entire mass of living beings. On this there are these two verses:

6 The three phonemes lead to the deathless,

when they are combined,
joined to one another,
and not disjointed.

When they are rightly combined

in performances external, internal, or in between,
a man who knows does not tremble.

7 With Rg verses, this world;

With Yajus formulas, the midregions;

With Saman chants, the place
which poets proclaim.

469

5.7

The Early Upanisads

tew^-Trw^ 11 ’ 5 ^ tt IMI

II ffcT qo^FT: W: II

tpt It g%?TT wstst: qrr^" I wrf^T^nw: ^wr ztwjit
FT^tct 1 FR^RT TW I cT# ^RTTW^

HT#FT I W^FFtf^T W cf dWlWcf I F^clfr FT I^T qf^MfcT
^^cFfft^fcT I dWI^T^'-JcT FFpr I ?T TFFTF1F FFsTTF I cT c^fT
'fagifir FFirfr jff ^fcT II? II

f fmrsr l ft^w. srftt #rt‘ f qq^fr qf^crr: ftfst ffft:

'FM'xflfcl I R 1 1

f f^rrq^ I ^WRft Ff^FFif^r f^fft qfcrfert

qfrrwwi^lcr 11311

f FRiF-gw I qFir^st' ft f^fffi^#

cPfr F^F: c=5T^F5T c^J F HTF F 1 1 V 1 1

F F^FT FF: FRRiTFT': F^FFIT: FFT HTFIFT F^rT I fatcT cTTHT
FTFF^ I FTRT fc^' 1 sflxFcf I OdiMIFH hRs^Rhi: hY^ST ‘'Foil: FFTTFFT:

cjff qRFTFt Rx^Pd' I f^rtcT fift fiff^ I jw sr^F 1 fRftY I f

T^F'c^dt FFfcT I F^F F5tF7: I iRl I

3RT fF FTTH# FcF qf^T^frl'fedT: I
ct W t^W FT Ft M: qf^FFT ffcT I \\\ I

FFFtFTF I U,dl c l^ c )lg^nrq< FfTT Hid: qTFFftfcT IIfII ^
cl^HFIFF 1 % F: [SRTI Nf: FT HR d RH d) fcT I FF:

qrwf^TTHF": 'RWf^T; 3 I \ 6 \ I

II ^frT W: W: II

II ^frf II

470

Prasna Upanisad

6.8

By O M alone as the support
Does a man who knows it attain
that which is serene,
beyond old age and death,
free from fear, the supreme.”

PRASNA 6

Then Sukesa Bharadvaja asked him: “Hiranyanabha, a prince of Kosala, once came
to me. Lord, and asked this question: ‘Do you know the person consisting of sixteen
parts?’ I told the prince: ‘I don’t know him. If I had known him, how could I have
not told you. Up to his very roots, surely, a man withers when he tells a lie. That’s
why I can’t tell you a lie.’ He got on to his chariot silently and went away. So I ask
you: Who is that person?”

2 He told Sukesa: “Right here within the body, my friend, is that person in
whom the sixteen parts come into being.

3 “That person thought to himself: ‘Who is the one that when he sets off, I will
set off and when he settles down, I will settle down?’ 4 He then created the life-
breath, and from the lifebreath, faith, space, wind, fire, water, earth, senses, mind,
and food; from food, strength, austerity, vedic formulas, rites, and worlds; and in
the worlds, name.

3 “Now, take these rivers. They flow toward the ocean and, upon reaching it,
merge into the ocean and lose their name and visible appearance; one simply calls it
the ocean. In just the same way, these sixteen parts of the person who is the per-
ceiver proceed toward the person and, upon reaching him, merge into that person,
losing their names and visible appearances; one simply calls it the person. He then
becomes partless and immortal. On this there is this verse:

6 In whom the parts are fixed,
as spokes on a hub —

You should know that person, who is to be known,
so that death may not disturb you.”

7 Pippalada then said to all of them: “That is everything I know about this highest
brahman , higher than which there is nothing.” 8 They praised him, saying: “You are,
indeed, our father, for you have taken us to the farthest shore beyond ignorance.”

Homage to the supreme seers! Homage to the supreme seers!

The end of the Prasna Upanisad.

471

This page intentionally left blank

TWELVE

Mandukya Upanisad

The Mandukya Upanisad is traditionally assigned to the Atharvaveda, even though
several teachers named Mandukeya are listed in the literature of the Rgveda (e.g.,
AA 3.1). This small document deals with the sacred syllable OM and identifies it
with the whole world, with Brahman, and with the self ( dtman ). The three constitu-
ent phonemes of the syllable OM are further identified with the three states of the
self — the waking, the dreaming, and deep sleep. The historical importance of the
MaU is dependent on the famous gloss, Karika (also called Agamasastra), by
Gaudapada, who is traditionally identified as the teacher of the teacher of Samkara,
the great exponent of monistic philosophy (Advaita Vedanta).

473

sffT I HtSJTRToFlT

qT^: IRI

^¥P!TR>S^T:grfr: ffBTf
qr^: IIV||

r: 5FFT:

r^cfi'M"

RS:: IIM

tTR se^gR: I 3T I I ^ qtfc: TT

rr I K 1 1

W:!f F «rf|W qtW:S(t *T PfffFraR T W

R?Rrr l r rtw I r fwr: I Ml

^WrRRqwftfTT: I 3T%RTt q^KT FTRT FKT 3RRT R^RT

wir^T Ikll

RPiRdFqRt t-^PRrssRq:: pit RrritHiRRWgrr I srrrftf^r f t

q- ITR il?°ll

OM — this whole world is that syllable! Here is a further explanation of it. The
past, the present, and the future — all that is simply OM; and whatever else that is
beyond the three times, that also is simply OM — 2 for this brahman is the Whole.
Brahman is this self ( atman ); that [brahman] is this self ( atman ) consisting of four
quarters.

3 The first quarter is Vaisvanara — the Universal One — situated in the waking
state, perceiving what is outside, possessing seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and
enjoying gross things.

4 The second quarter is Taijasa — the Brilliant One — situated in the state of
dream, perceiving what is inside, possessing seven limbs and nineteen mouths, and
enjoying refined things.

5 The third quarter is Prajria — the Intelligent One — situated in the state of deep
sleep — deep sleep is when a sleeping man entertains no desires or sees no dreams — ;
become one, and thus being a single mass of perception; consisting of bliss, and
thus enjoying bliss; and having thought as his mouth. 6 He is the Lord of all; he is
the knower of all; he is the inner controller; he is the womb of all — for he is the ori-
gin and the dissolution of beings.

7 They consider the fourth quarter as perceiving neither what is inside nor what
is outside, nor even both together; not as a mass of perception, neither as perceiving
nor as not perceiving; as unseen; as beyond the reach of ordinary transaction; as
ungraspable; as without distinguishing marks; as unthinkable; as indescribable; as
one whose essence is the perception of itself alone; as the cessation of the visible
world; as tranquil; as auspicious; as without a second. That is the self [atman), and
it is that which should be perceived.

8 With respect to syllables, OM is this very self [atman)-, whereas with respect to
the constituent phonemes of a syllable, it is as follows. The constituent phonemes
are the quarters, and the quarters are the constituent phonemes, namely, “a,” “u,”
and “m.”

9 The first constituent phoneme — “a” — is Vaisvanara situated in the waking
state, so designated either because of obtaining ( apti ) or because of being first
[adimattva). Anyone who knows this is sure to obtain all his desires and to become
the first.

10 The second constituent phoneme — “u” — is Taijasa situated in the state of
dream, so designated either because of heightening [utkarsa) or because of being
intermediate [ubhayatva). Anyone who knows this is sure to heighten the continuity
of knowledge and to become common; and a man without the knowledge of brah-
man will not be born in his lineage.

475

The Early Upanisads

gJR-mFT: WT WR^RfcTT

e^fHrPsa' *rafcr *r ^ ^ 1 1 ? ? I

Mandukya Upanisad

12

1 1 The third constituent phoneme — “m” — is Prajna situated in the state of deep
sleep, so designated either because of construction ( miti ) or because of destruction
(, aplti ). Anyone who knows this is sure to construct this whole world and to become
also its destruction.

12 The fourth, on the other hand, is without constituent phonemes; beyond the
reach of ordinary transaction; the cessation of the visible world; auspicious; and
unique.

Accordingly, the very self ( atman ) is OM. Anyone who knows this enters the
self {atman) by himself (atman).

The end of the Mandukya Upanisad.

477

APPENDIX

NAMES OF GODS, PEOPLE,
AND PLACES

For more detailed information about the humans, gods, and sages, as well as the place-
names mentioned in the Upanisads, the reader may consult the comprehensive index
prepared by Macdonell and Keith (1912) and Macdonell’s (1898) survey of vedic my-
thology. For the location of many of the places, consult the map on p. 14. The reader
should consult the index for a complete listing of occurrences of these names in the
Upanisads. The following list does not include individuals mentioned solely in the
long lists of teachers and pupils appended to several Upanisads.

Abhipratarin Kaksaseni. A person of royal descent among the Kurus who appears
in several ancient texts as engaged in theological discussions. The JB (3.156) reports
that his sons divided his property while he was still alive.

Aditi. A female deity, the mother of several gods, including Varuna and Mitra. In later
mythology she is made the mother of gods in general. Sometimes she is identified
with the earth. See KaU 4.7; Macdonell 1898, 120-23.

Adityas. Literally the son(s) of Aditi, the term in the plural refers to a group of gods,
including some prominent ones such as Varuna, Mitra, and Indra. Early texts give
their number as eight, but the Brahmanas already show their number as twelve, which
has remained the norm ever since. Together with the Vasus and the Rudras, they con-
stitute the three major classes of gods (see CU 3.16). In the singular, the term Aditya
refers to the sun.

Ajatasatru. A king of Kasi, not to be confused with a king of the same name, the son
of Bindusara, recorded in the Buddhist texts.

Angirasa. The name of a class of priests closely associated with another group called
Atharvan. The name is also used with reference to a group of sundry divine beings
and is an epithet to several gods, especially the fire god Agni.

Aruni. The patronymic of Uddalaka Aruni.

Asvala. Little is known about him, apart from the fact recorded in BU 3.1.2 that he was
the Hotr priest of Janaka of Videha.

Asvapati Kaikeya, Known only from the episode, recorded both in SB 10.6.1.2 and
in CU 5.11.4, of his instructing several Brahmins about the self. He was a king of the
Kekayas, a people located in the northwestern region.

478

Appendix

Asvins. Twin deities described as young, beautiful, fond of honey, and expert in medi-
cal knowledge. They are the physicians of the gods.

Atidhanvan Saunaka. A teacher appearing in CU 1.9.3; little else is known about
him other than that he was the teacher of Udara Sandilya.

Atikl. The wife of Usasti in CU 1.10.1.

Baka Dalbhya. A Brahmin from the Kuru-Pancala region, who is credited in the JB
(1.9.2) with constraining Indra. His only appearance in the Upanisads is in the hu-
morous tale of dogs at CU 1.12.

Balaki. See Gargya Balaki.

Barku Varsna. Appears as a teacher who is at odds with Yajnavalkya. He is portrayed
in a poor light both in SB 1.1.1.10 and BU 4.1.4.

Bhaga. This word means “dispenser,” and this “dispenser of wealth” is counted among
the twelve Adityas.

Bhargava Vaidarbhi. A learned Brahmin who questioned Pippalada in the PU 2.

Bhuju Lahyayani. A Brahmin contemporary of Yajnavalkya; he attended a major
sacrifice celebrated by Janaka of Videha (BU 3.3). Little else is known about him.

Brahmadatta Caikitaneya. Appears as a teacher in BU 1.3.24; JU 1.37; 1.59. Little
else is known about him.

Brahmanaspati. Lit., “the lord of brahman(s),” the term is an epithet of Brhaspati.

Brhaspati. A deity closely linked to the fire god and to sacred speech, who is wise and
is the lord of speech and eloquence. He is regarded as the priest of the gods and the
source of wisdom. Later tradition identifies him with the planet Jupiter and ascribes
to him, now considered a seer, texts of religious law and politics.

Budila Asvatarasvi. Also called Vaiyaghrapadya (CU 5.16), he was a rich Brahmin
said to have been a contemporary of the kings Janaka of Videha and Asvapati
Kaikeya, as well as of Uddalaka Aruni. He is depicted as somewhat confused and ig-
norant.

Caikitayana Dalbhya. Both names appear to be patronymics and occur elsewhere in
vedic literature with reference to other individuals (see, e.g., Baka). Dalbhya was a
Brahmin who took part in a discussion with and is subsequently instructed by
Pravahana Jaivali on the meaning of the High Chant (CU 1.8-9).

Citra Gangayani. Appears in KsU 1.1 as a king and a contemporary of Svetaketu and
Uddalaka Aruni. He teaches the latter a doctrine similar to that taught by Pravahana
Jaivali in BU 6.2 and CU 5.3-10; they are probably versions of the same story with a
change of the royal character.

Cula Bhagavitti. Nothing is known about this teacher besides what is found in BU
6. 3. 9-10. _

Dadhyanc Atharvna. A seer who is famous for having revealed to the Asvins the
place of honey (see BU 2.5.17 n.).

Dhatr. A minor god connected with creation. In later texts, he is identified with the
major creator gods Prajapati and Brahma.

Drptabalaki Gargya. See Gargya Balaki.

Gandhara. A region in the extreme northwest of the Indian subcontinent (see map).

Gandharva. In the early vedic literature Gandharvas appear as a class of divine beings
alongside the gods and the forefathers. They are associated with the Soma drink and
are said to be fond of females. They are often associated with the celestial nymphs,
Apsarases. In later literature, especially the epics, the Gandharvas are depicted as ce-
lestial singers and are associated with music.

479

Appendix

Gardabhivipita Bharadvaja. He is a teacher who is said to have toid Janaka of
Videha that brahman consists of the power of hearing (BU 4.1.5).

Gargi VacaknavL One of the few learned women mentioned in the vedic literature,
she went head to head with Yajnavalkya twice (BU 3.5, 8). Her position among the
other disputants was strong enough that, once she realized that Yajnavalkya had de-
feated her, she, in effect, told them to shut up.

Gargya Balaki. Also called Drptabalaki (“Balaki the Proud”), he comes front a dis-
tinguished family; Gargyas are mentioned as teachers of liturgy and grammar. The
episode of his attempting to teach King Ajatasatru of Kasi, who shows up his igno-
rance, is recorded both in BU 2.1 and in KsU 4.1-20, where he is depicted as a man
who had traveled widely.

Gautama. The same as Uddalaka Aruni.

Ghora Angirasa. Appears as the teacher of Krsna Devakiputra in CU 3.17.6.
Macdonell and Keith (1912, i. 250-51) regard him as a figment representing the dark
side of Atharvavedic magical practice.

Glava Maitreya. A Brahmin connected with Baka Dalbhya in the story of the dogs
(CU 1.12).

Gosruti Vaiyaghrapadya. Little is known about him, except that he appears as a
pupil of Satyakama Jabala in CU 5.2.3 and SA 9.7.

Haridrumata Gautama. Known only from his appearance in CU 4.4.3 as the teacher
of the more famous Satyakama Jabala.

Himavat. The Himalayan mountains personified; the father of Uma in KeU 3.12.

Hiranyanabha. The name of a prince of Kosala mentioned in PU 6.1.

IJa. The personification of the milk and ghee offerings poured into the fire, she is said
to be the mother of the fire god.

Indra. The most famous of the vedic gods, Indra is called the king of the gods. He is
powerful and loves to drink Soma. His claim to fame is his victory over Vrtra, a com-
bat that is given cosmogonic significance. In the Vedas Indra is closely associated
with rain, and prominence is given to his weapon, the Vajra, conceived of as the
thunderbolt. In some of the Upanisads, Indra comes to be identified with the ultimate
self ( atman ).

Indradyumna Bhallaveya. One of a group of men who went to receive instruction
from Asvapati Kaikeya about the self (CU 5.11) and about the Vaisvanara fire (SB
10 . 6 . 1 . 1 ).

Isana. The term means “lord” and is an epithet of various gods, especially of Rudra.
Isana is also considered an independent god and is counted as one of the Rudras.

Jana Sarkaraksya. Mentioned in the same episodes as Indradyumna.

Janaka of Videha. Perhaps the most famous and prominent of the kings mentioned
in the Upanisads, Janaka appears already as a renowned king of a distant time in the
episodes of Ajatasatru of Kasi (BU 2.1.1; KsU 4.1). Videha being to the east of the
Kuru-Pancala country, the home of the major figures of the Upanisads, Janaka repre-
sents the growing importance of the eastern regions from which the new religions of
Buddhism and Jainism would emerge some centuries later. Janaka is presented in the
SB and the BU as very learned and able to debate the most learned of the Kuru-
Pancala Brahmins. Although in the BU he usually learns from Yajnavalkya, in one
episode of the SB (11.6.2) he teaches him the meaning of the daily fire sacrifice.

Janaki Ayasthuna. Presented as a pupil of Cula Bhagavitti in BU 6.3.10.

Janasruti Pautrayana. A rich and pious man, possibly a king, who is taught the
doctrine of the gatherer ( samvargavidya ) by Raikva at CU 4.1.

480

Appendix

Jaratkarava Artabhaga. One of the Brahmins attending Janaka’s sacrifice who is
defeated in debate by Yajnavalkya (BU 3.2), he is also mentioned as a teacher in SA
7.20.

Jatavedas. An epithet of the fire god, Agni.

Jitvan Sailini. He is mentioned in BU 4.1.1 as teaching Janaka that Brahman is
speech, a view refuted by Yajnavalkya.

Kabandha Atharvana. The name of a Gandharva who possessed a woman in BU
3.7.1. In another version of the story (BU 3.3.1) the Gandharva is identified as Sudh-
anvan Angiras.

KabandhI Katyayana. A learned Brahmin who questioned Pippalada in the PU 1.1.

Kahola Kausltakeya. Mentioned in several texts as a contemporary and rival of
Yajnavalkya"(SB 2.4.3.1; BU 3.5.1).

Kasi. The old name of the city later known as Varanasi (Benares). Kasi is often con-
nected with the kingdom of Videha.

Katyayanl. One of the two wives of Yajnavalkya and depicted as having only
“womanly interests” (BU 2.4.1; 4.5. 1-2).

Kauravyayanl. Her son is mentioned at BU 5.1.1.

Kausalya Asvalayana. A learned Brahmin who questioned Pippalada in the PU 3.

Kausitaki. Patronymic of a teacher or a line of teachers. The name and the doctrines
ascribed to him are prominent in a number of ancient texts (e.g., SA 2.17; 15.1) and
two texts, the Kausitaki Brahmana and the KsU, are named after him. A Kausitaki is
also mentioned in CU 1.5.2, although it is unclear whether it refers to the same indi-
vidual.

Kosala. The region east of Videha and closely associated with it and corresponding
roughly to eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar.

Krsna Devakiputra. Mentioned in CU 3.17.6 as a pupil of Ghora Angirasa. Al-
though some have identified this Upanisadic figure as the Krsna of the epics, the
connection between the two is very doubtful.

Kumaraharlta. Mentioned as a teacher in BU 6.4.4. Nothing else is known about him.

Kuril. The name of a people and a region in the upper reaches of the Yamuna and Saras-
vatl rivers, what is today eastern Punjab and Haryana. The Kurus are regularly associ-
ated with the Pancalas.

Madhuka Paingya. Mentioned as a teacher in SB 11.7.2.8 and as a pupil of
Yajnavalkya in BU 6.3.8.

Madra. A region located toward the west of Kuru-Pancala around the upper tributaries
of the Indus (i.e., in today’s Punjab).

Maghavan. Literally “bountiful,” an epithet frequently ascribed to Indra.

Mahacamasya. A teacher mentioned in TU 1.5 and credited with adding mahas to the
three Calls (CU 2.23.2 n.).

Mahavrsa. A region located toward the northwest of Kuru-Pancala in what is today’s
Punjab.

Mahidasa Aitareya. The teacher after whom the Aitareya Brahmana, Aranyaka, and
Upanisad are named. His longevity is pointed out in CU 3.16.7 and JB 4.2.11, accord-
ing to which he lived to be 1 16.

Maitreyl. One of the two wives of Yajnavalkya, who is presented as interested in theo-
logical matters. Her conversation with her husband, repeated twice, is one of the more
important sections of the BU (BU 2.4.1; 4.5. 1-2).

Manu. The first man and the progenitor of all humans, he plays the central role in the

481

Appendix

Indian myth of the flood. Later legends make him also the first lawgiver, and an im-
portant collection of ancient Indian laws is ascribed to Manu.

MarutS. A group of gods connected with the wind and thunderstorm and thus associ-
ated with Indra’s exploits. They are called the sons of Rudra and are often referred to
in the plural as “the Rudras.”

Matsya. A region to the southwest of Kuru-Pancala.

Maudgalya. Patronymic of one Naka mentioned as a teacher in BU 6.4.4 and TU 1.9.1.

Mitra. A solar god regularly associated with Varuna.

Mrtyu. Literally “death,” he is associated with the god of death, Yama. In the Upani-
sads, the term has a range of meanings: death, Death personified, and the god Mrtyu.

Naciketas. The son of Usan Vajasravas, who gives him over to death. He is the main
character in the KaU.

Naimisa. The name of a specially sacred forest. It may have been located somewhere
along the River Sarasvati.

Naka. See Maudgalya.

Narada. This ancient seer is mentioned already in the AV. He attains great importance
in later times and is regarded as a son of Brahma, a divine seer ( devarsi ), and a mes-
senger between gods and men.

Paingya. A famous teacher frequently mentioned in the Kausltaki Brahmana as an
authority. His views are cited in KsU 2.2.

Pancala. The central region of vedic civilization, around the Yamuna and Ganga rivers,
corresponding to the western Uttar Pradesh. The Pancalas are closely associated with
the Kurus.

Pariksitas. The patronymic of Janamejaya, the king of Kurus (AB 7.27, 34; 8.11). In
the plural, the name probably refers to him and his brothers, Ugrasena, Bhlmasena,
and Srutasena, and more generally to the royal family of the Kurus. It appears that a
serious scandal was associated with them and that they had atoned for it by means of
a horse sacrifice. The disappearance of this once famous royal family may be associ-
ated with the conquest of the Kurus by the Salvas (Witzel 1989, 236; 1997b). See
also Horsch 1966, 253-55.

Parjanya. The god of the rain cloud, his main function is to shed rain. He is therefore
associated with fertility, and the earth is said to be his wife.

Patancala Kapya. Mentioned in two similar episodes of BU 3.3 and 3.7 in which his
wife or daughter is possessed by a spirit. He taught the sacrifice in the northwestern
country of the Madras.

Paurusisti. The patronymic of one Taponitya mentioned in TU 1.9.

Pippalada. The sage whose answers to six questions comprise the PU. His name con-
nects him to the Paippalada recension of the Atharvaveda.

Praclnasala Aupamanyava. One of the group of Brahmins who received instruc-
tion from Asvapati Kaikeya ( see also Indradyumna).

Praclnayogya. The patronymic of Satyayajba Paulusi, although it is applied to a
variety of teachers (see TU 1 .6.2 and the list of teachers at BU 2.6.2).

Prajapati. Literally “lord of creatures,” he is the creator god par excellence in the
Brahmanas and the Upanisads. He is the father of the gods and the demons ( asura ), as
well as of all creatures. See Gonda 1986a.

Pratardana Daivodasi. Mentioned in the KsU 3.1 as going to Indra’s world after
his death in battle, his patronymic “descendant of Divodasa” connects him to the fa-
mous Rgvedic king Sudas, the son or descendant of Divodasa. Pratardana is also
mentioned as a king in other vedic texts.

482

Appendix

Pratrda. Mentioned in an episode in BU 5.12.2, where he poses a question to his fa-
ther. The name is a patronymic of a teacher named Bhalla in the JB 3.31.4.

Pravahana Jaivali. King of Pancala who appears in BU 6.2 and CU 5.3-10 teaching
the famous doctrine of the five fires that explains the process of rebirth and in CU
1.8.1 teaching the meaning of the High Chant.

Pusan. Closely associated with the sun god, he is viewed as the one who knows the
paths and conducts the dead safely to the world of the fathers.

Raikva. A somewhat comical figure from the northwestern region of Mahavrsa, who sat
scratching his itch under a cart when he was discovered. He taught the doctrine of the
gatherer to Janasruti at CU 4.1-3.

Rathitara. The patronymic of one Satyavacas mentioned inTU 1.9.

Rjlsin. Literally “receiving the residue of Soma,” this is an epithet of Indra.

Rudra. Generally regarded as a storm god, Rudra has an ambivalent personality. He is
fierce and feared. He is also a healer, the one who averts the anger of gods. In his be-
nign aspect he is referred to as siva, “the benign one,” an epithet which becomes the
name of the later god Siva, with whom Rudra is identified.

Rudras. In the plural, the term refers to a group of eleven gods, who, together with the
Adityas and Vasus, constitute the three classes of gods. The Rudras are associated
with the Maruts; both of these groups are ruled by Rudra.

Sadhyas. A group of somewhat ill-defined deities, said to occupy a region above that
of the gods.

Saibya Satyakama. A learned Brahmin who questioned Pippalada in the PU 5.

Samasravas. A pupil of Yajnavalkya in BU 3.1.2.

Sanatkumara. He, together with Sanaka, Sanandana, and Sanatana, are the mind-born
sons of the creator god Brahma. They are reputed for their knowledge and for lifelong
celibacy.

Sandilya. He is one of important teachers of the fire ritual in the SB, to whom is as-
cribed a famous doctrine bearing his name, “Sandilya-doctrine” ( sandilyavidya ), in
SB 10.6.3 and CU 3.14. There is some confusion, however, in the literature because
this patronymic may have belonged to several teachers (see Udarasandilya). Al-
though Sandilya is associated with texts belonging to the eastern regions, Witzel
(1989, 204) has pointed out that the Sandilya tradition may have had its origins fur-
ther west and spread later to the east.

Sarasvatl. The most celebrated river of the vedic age (although its identity in the
early period is not altogether certain), it is personified as a goddess. In the Brah-
manas she becomes identified with speech and the goddess of speech, and in later
mythology Sarasvatl is the goddess of eloquence and wisdom (BU 6.4.27).

Satvan. A region located around the southern tributaries of the Yamuna River and
associated with the land of Matsya (KsU 4.1).

Satyakama Jabala. In one of the most moving stories of the Upanisads, Satyakama’ s
mother, Jabala, confesses to her son that he was bom out of wedlock and that she
does not know who his father is. She asks him to call himself the “son of Jabala”
(Jabala), thus adopting a matronymic. This open truthfulness so impresses his
teacher, Haridrumata Gautama, that he initiates him into vedic study (CU 4.4-9). Sat-
yakama appears as a teacher in several other vedic texts (e.g., BU 4.1.6), and he is said
to be a pupil of Janaki Ayasthuna in BU 6.3.1 1.

Satyayajna Paulusi. Also called Praclnayogya, he is one of the group of Brahmins
who receive instruction from Asvapati Kaikeya (see Indradyumna).

Saunaka Kapeya. Saunaka is a common patronymic applied to a variety of teachers

483

Appendix

(MuU 1.1.3). Kapeyais mentioned in connection with Abhipratarin Kaksaseni in CU
4.3.5, and the JB (3.1.21; 1.59.2) identifies him as the latter’s domestic priest.

Sauryayani Gargya. A learned Brahmin who questioned Pippaiada in the PU 4.

Savitr. The god associated with the stimulating power of the sun. He is the deity in-
voked in the most celebrated of vedic verses, the Gayatri or the Savitri (RV 3.62.10).

Silaka Salavatya. Nothing more is known about this teacher except for what is con-
tained in CU 1.8.1, where he is depicted as a contemporary of Pravahana Jaivali.

Sinlvall. Together with Raka, she is a goddess associated with the phases of the moon.
Raka is connected with the full moon and Sinivali with the first day of the new moon.

Soma. A sacrificial drink pressed from a plant, a drink that apparently had mind-
altering qualities. The drink is personified as a god and later identified with the
moon. Thus the term often simply means the moon (see BU 1.3.24 n.).

Sudhanvan Angiras. The name of a Gandharva who possessed a woman in BU 3.3.1,
while in another version of the story (BU 3.7.1) the Gandharva is identified as
Kabandha Atharvana.

Sukesa Bharadvaja. A learned Brahmin who questioned Pippaiada in the PU 6.

Suskabhrngara. We know him only from KsU 2.6, where he teaches that brahman is
Uktha (BU 1.6.1 n.), indicating that he was possibly a teacher of the Rgvedic tradi-
tion.

Svetaketu Aruneya. Son of the famous teacher Uddalaka Aruni, his dialogue with a
king, variously identified as Pravahana Jaivali (BU 6.2; CU 5.3-10) and Citra
Gangayani (KsU 1.1-2), sets the scene for the exposition of the important doctrine of
the five fires and the theory of transmigration. Although he is made a contemporary
of Yajnavalkya and Janaka of Videha in SB 11.6.2, this cannot be accepted at face
value because his father is also a contemporary of these in BU 3.7. Svetaketu is often
depicted as a haughty young man contrasting sharply with the humility of his father.
He is regarded as a wise sage and seer in later literature, but his late date is hinted at
in the Apastamba Dharmasutra (1.2. 5. 4-6), which calls him a man of recent times.

Svetasvatara. The teacher of the doctrine presented in the SU, after whom the
Upanisad is named.

Trisanku. A sage mentioned in TU 1.10, identified in later literature as a king of
Ayodhya who desired to go to heaven with his body and became the southern cross
constellation.

Tvastr. Described as a skilled workman, he is the father of Indra. He is a guardian of
Soma and thus attracts the hostility of his son, who wants to take possession of the
drink. Soma is often called the “honey of Tvastr,” and it is in this capacity that he re-
vealed to Dadhyanc the place of honey, i.e.. Soma. This is the basis for the reference at
BU 2.5.17.

Udanka Saulbayana. Mentioned as a teacher already in the TS (7. 5.4.2). At BU 4.1.3
he tells Janaka of Videha that brahman is the lifebreath.

Udarasandiiya. Little is known about him apart from what is mentioned in CU 1.9.3.
He was the pupil of Atidhanvan Saunaka.

Uddalaka Aruni. Also bearing the name Gautama, he was a famous teacher from the
Kuru-Pancala region and the father of the equally famous Svetaketu. Even though in
BU 6.3.7 he is said to have been Yajnavalkya’s teacher, elsewhere Yajnavalkya is pre-
sented as an equal of Uddalaka and as defeating Uddalaka in debate (BU 3.7). The en-
tire sixth chapter of the CU is devoted to Uddalaka’s exposition of the “existent”
(sat) as the source of all things, where he presents this novel doctrine rejecting the
old view that the “existent” emerged from the “nonexistent.”

484

Appendix

Uma. The daughter of Himavat in KeU 3.12. In later mythology she is also called
Parvati (“daughter of the mountain”) and becomes the wife of Siva.

Upakosala Kamalayana. Said to have been a pupil of Satyakama Jabala in CU 4.10.

Usan Vajasravas. The father of Naciketas in KU 1.1. He referred to as Gautama (KaU
1.10), and Naciketas is called the son of Uddalaka Aruni at KaU 1.11 (see, however,
the note to this). If this is true, then Usan is the same as Uddalaka, and Naciketas is
the same as, or the brother of, Svetaketu.

Usasta Cakrayana. Called Usasti in CU 1.10.1, he is there depicted as a learned but
poor Brahmin who managed to outwit the priests of a sacrifice by his superior knowl-
edge of the sacrificial chants. In BU 3.5, he is one of the Kuru-Pancala Brahmins who
are defeated in debate by Yajnavalkya.

Uslnara. The location of this region is uncertain, but it must have been near the heart-
land of Brahmanism of this period represented by Kuru-Pancala and Kasi.

Vajasravas. See Usan Vajasravas.

Vaiyaghrapadya. The patronymic of both Indradyumna Bhallaveya (CU 5.14) and
Budila Asvatarasvi (CU 5.16).

Varuna. One of the great gods in early vedic literature, he is viewed as the grand sover-
eign and upholder of the natural and moral order. He becomes increasingly associated
with the waters, and his residence comes to be located within the ocean. In the period
represented by the Brahmanas and the Upanisads, Varuna’s cosmic role fades with the
emergence of Prajapati as the supreme creator god.

Vasus. A group of eight gods distinguished from the Adityas and Rudras, although
their general character and specific identities remain rather vague.

Vidagdha Sakalya. A teacher who, according to the SB (11.6.3.3), volunteered to
debate with Yajnavalkya on behalf of the assembled Brahmins (see BU 3.9). He is also
reported to have told Janaka of Videha that brahman is the heart (BU 4.1.7).

Videha. A region located northeast of Kasi and east of Kosala, with which it is closely
associated. Corresponds roughly to northern Bihar.

Virocana. The son of Prahlada, who is viewed in the CU 8.7.2 as occupying a position
among demons parallel to that of Indra among the gods. In later mythology both he
and his father are viewed as pious and kind demons.

Visnu. The great god of later Hinduism, who is a somewhat minor solar deity in the
vedic literature. He is especially associated with his three steps with which he meas-
ured the three worlds, his third step being viewed as the highest heaven. These steps
are connected in the SB (1.2.5) with Visnu’s assuming the shape of a dwarf and thus
tricking a demon, who had conquered the world, into letting him have a small piece
of land where he could lie down. Upon being granted the land, Visnu assumed his
normal size and strode through the three worlds, securing them for the gods.

Visvavasu. A Gandharva who is regarded as fond of women and is a rival of the hus-
band during the first night after the wedding.

Visvedeva. Literally “All-gods,” the term came to be applied to a class of gods dis-
tinct from the Adityas, Rudras, and Vasus. Their number is fixed as thirteen, and in
later Brahmanical rites offerings to this group occupy a prominent place.

Vratya. The term is used in ancient literature to refer to groups of people, at least some
of whom appear to have led a wandering or a nomadic life. There is no consensus
among scholars regarding the identity of Vratya. Falk (1986a) has shown that the
Vratyas were probably “poor, mostly young Brahmins and Ksatriyas who in search of
a “start capital” form a dark, ominous sodality which demands ransom from the local,
well-settled grhasthas [householders] and even from the kings” (Witzel 1989, 235-

485

Appendix

36). Already in some vedic texts, however, the Vratya is presented as a mysterious,
powerful, and even divine person. In later times the term is used to refer to either
mixed-caste people or to Brahmins who have not undergone vedic initiation. See also
Horsch 1966, 401-20.

Yajnavalkya. He occupies a central position in the SB as an authority on ritual mat-
ters and in the BU as a teacher of esoteric doctrines. Traditionally credited with the
composition of the White Yajurveda, his final settlement with his two wives,
Katyayani and Maitreyl, and his subsequent departure from home into possibly an
ascetic way of life are narrated twice in the BU at 2.4 and 4.5. In the BU he appears as a
humorous, sarcastic, and often irreverent figure.

Yama. The Indian god of death from the most ancient period of vedic mythology until
contemporary times. In ancient myths he is called king and divine characteristics are
ascribed to him, but he comes to be identified with death itself ( see Mrtyu) and many
of the negative aspects of death become associated with Yama. Later myths associate
him with judgment and punishment of the dead.

486

NOTES

The numbers that cue the notes refer to the internal divisions of the text. The textual
variants in each division are given first and are cued by endnote reference numbers.
Substantive comments are given after the variants and are cued by italicized words of
the translation.

i Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

ADHYAYA 1

1.1 1. vr in Maue (1976) avantara-. — 2. vr in Maue (197 6) asthani. — 3. 1 have removed
the danda printed texts of the BU(K) generally insert after mamsani. This danda is un-
necessary and breaks the list of connected items. I have inserted a danda after vaisva-
narah to indicate the separate treatment I note here between the head and the body.
— 4. vr in Maue (1976) vklhunute (for a discussion of this, see Maue 1976, 44-48).

sacrificial horse : regarding the horse sacrifice, see Int., p. 19. Here the bodily parts and
activities of the sacrificial horse are equated with the diverse elements and phenomena
of the universe (Int., p. 24). To understand some of the homologies, we must visualize
the horse as standing facing the east (the same is true at BU 1 .2.3). The head of the
horse is here clearly distinguished from the body, and two sets of cosmic realities are
related to elements of the head and the body, respectively. For a parallel, see TS
7.5.25, which concludes the Taittirfya Samhita.

fire common to all men: this fire ( vaisvanara ) is somewhat ill-defined. It often refers to
the sun, but also to the digestive fire in the body (BU 5.9) and to a specific ritual fire.
Speculations regarding the identity of this fire (cf. SB 10.6.1) are found in the Brah-
manas, and those speculations dovetail into the search for the identity of brahman and
the self in the Upanisads (cf. CU 5.11).

body: on the uses of the important term atman, see Int., p. 22. The term frequently, as
in this passage, refers to the physical body, here distinguished from the head, or to a
living body as distinct from a corpse (BU 1.2.7). Throughout these Upanisads the two
closely related meanings of “body” and “self’ (as the essential core of a human being)
are present whenever the term atman is used, even though the one or the other meaning
may occupy the foreground within a particular context (see CU 5. 1 8.2 n.).

stomach contents: on the meaning of the term uvadhyam, see Maue 1976, 43.

1 .2 sacrificial cup: the reference is to two special cups used for the Soma drink. Here these
cups arc identified with the day and the night.

487

BU 1.1.2

Notes

1.2 demons: see BU 1.3.1 n.

counterpart: on the technical meaning of this term (cf. BU 4.1.2), see Int., p. 24.

2 This section deals simultaneously with cosmogony and with the establishment of the
horse sacrifice.

2.1 1. BU(M) [but not Bbhtlingk 1889a], Maue (1976; see also p. 49) arkyasydrkatvam ; vr
in Maue (1976) -drkyatvam.

In the beginning . . . in this way: this is a passage full of wordplay and phonetic
equivalences (see Int., p. 25). The Sanskrit verb arc- may mean “to recite liturgical
texts” or “to shine,” and it is related to the term arka, whose meanings include liturgi-
cal recitation, radiance, and lightning; it is also a technical term for a special sacred fire
used in the horse sacrifice. The term ka has several meanings, most important water
and pleasure. All these meanings of the terms appear to be implied in this long and in-
tricate wordplay establishing connections among various things. Knowledge of these
connections is facilitated by the perceived etymological relations between the words.
The Sanskrit abstract nouns used to indicate these relationships imply both how a word
originated and the true nature of the thing denoted by that word. I regularly use the
somewhat awkward and long expression “gave the name to and discloses the true na-
ture of” to convey the pregnant meaning of the simple Sanskrit abstract nouns in these
contexts.

death: as we see in the next section, the creative work of death, here personified as a
deity, probably Prajapati (see SB 10.4.3.1-3), has both a ritual and a sexual dimension.
Both involve toil ( tapas ) and exertion ( srama ), two activities connected both with the
ritual endeavors of the priests and the creative activities of the gods; see Kaelber 1989;
Olivelle 1993,9-11.

water sprang from him: the water created by death is the cosmic waters, identified in
the next section with the waters of the ocean whose foam created the dry land.

2.2 1 . vr in Maue (1976) asramat. — 2. LV tejoraso.

his essence: the term rasa can mean semen, and here within the context of Prajapati’ s
sexual intercourse with the earth ( prthivi , feminine) that is probably the meaning.

2.3 1. vr in Maue (1976) cemau. — 2. vr in Maue (1976) sakthnyau.

He divided this body: the body that death received was fire. Of the three parts, one
remained as fire (which is left unstated in the passsage), while the other two became
the sun and the wind.

the souteast and the northeast: the Sanskrit reads asau casau ca (“that and that”) used
here deictically to refer to the intermediate quarters, southeast, northeast, etc. Such ex-
pressions are common in these texts and testify to their oral character (see BU 1 .4.6 n.
and “Note on the Translation”).

2.4 1. 1 follow Maue (1976), BU(M); most BU(K) editions read asandya.. — 2. vr in Maue
(1976) abhibhar.

So, by means of... with hunger: According to the reading in most BU(K) editions, the
translation would be: “. . . mind, death, that is, hunger, copulated with speech.”

488

Notes

BU 1.3.1

bhan : this term has a double meaning in Sanskrit. It is both the cry of a baby and a
verbal root meaning “to speak.’’

2.5 1. prajam, following Maue (1976), several of his mss, and BU(M); most BU(K) edi-

tons and Samkara read prajah. — 2. BU(M), Senart (1934) sarvasyattd.

this whole world : see BU 1.4.9-10 n.

eater of this whole world: food is a central theme in these documents. The metaphor of
eater and food is used frequently to indicate the power of one over another. The rich
and powerful are often compared to the eater, and the poor and weak to the food: see
Rau 1957, 34-35; Geib 1976; Smith 1990. A good example of this metaphor is KsU
2.9. Eating the whole world, thus, means total dominion over the world.

2.7 1. -rudhyeva- following Maue (1976), several of his mss., some mss. of Samkara’ s

commentary on BU(K), and BU(M): see the note to the translation; most editions of
BU(K) read -rudhyaiva-. — 2. Most BU(K) editions add /ia; 1 follow Maue (1976),
most of his mss., and BU(M) in omitting ha. — 3. vr in Maue (1976) sa. — 4. Boht-
lingk (1889a) mrtyur evapah / punar. — 5. BU(M) adds sarvam dyur eti (see BU
2.1.10, 12). — 6. BU(M) adds y a evam veda.

Because it bloated . . horse sacrifice: the use of the augment a of the past tense (as-
vat), Mehendale (1960-61) points out, may indicate that the etymology points not just
at the word but also at a past event signified by the word.

not to be confined in any way: at a horse sacrifice, the sacrificial horse is let loose to
wander at will for a year, during which time the king has to guard it without confining
it. 1 follow the emendation suggested by Maue (1976, 58): tarn anavarudhyam iva-
manyata (see Brereton 1982, 449).

repeated death: In this sentence, the usual “whoever knows this” is probably implied
(see BU 3.2.7; 3.3.2). The meaning of repeated death is not altogether clear, but the
implication is that a person subject to this type of death would die a second or third
time after his natural death on earth. This idea is important because it probably influ-
enced the development of the pivotal doctrines of later religion: rebirth and karma.
This concept does not exist in the early vedic texts, and its use is limited almost exclu-
sively to the late vedic texts. For a discussion of this concept in vedic texts and the
possible location of its origin, see Witzel 1989, 201-5. In his recent treatment of this
topic, Bodewitz (1996a, 36) claims that the concept of repeated death “introduced to-
gether with its solution and with emphasis on this solution, reflects the reaction of the
ritualists to attempts made by non-ritualists to devalue the ritualistic claims. These
ritualists probably tried to refute the opinion of other circles that ultimately the merits
become exhausted in heaven.” For death becoming one’s own body, see SB 10.5.2.23.

3.1 1. vr in Maue (1976) ya. —2. vr in Maue (1976) aspardhata.

gods and demons: in vedic mythology the gods ( deva ) were viewed as the natural ad-
versaries of the demons ( asura ). The term “demon” is somewhat misleading because
both these classes are divine beings, here said to be the children of the same creator
god/father, human beings the third class of his children (BU 5.2.1; CU 1.2.1). Ancient
Iranian evidence from the Avesta show that ahura (= asura) was a term applied to high
gods. In India, however, the asuras became demoted to a lower level and came to be
viewed as demoniac and evil, even though the ancient meaning survives, as when the

489

BU 1.3.1

Notes

epithet asura is applied to gods such as Varuna and Mitra. Gods were able to prevail
over the demons because of their superior knowledge of the ritual techniques.

High Chant (udgitha): the central part of a five-part hymn ( stotra ) sung during a Soma
sacrifice (see CU 1. 1.8-9 n.; 2.2.1 n.). In the Upanisads, the High Chant is often identi-
fied with the mystic syllable OM with which the High Chant opens (cf. CU 1.1. If.).
The importance of this chant in the ritual and the Upanisadic ritual speculation is evi-
denced by the frequency of its use in the Upanisads, especially the CU. For a study of
udgithavidya in the Upanisads and in later Vedanta, see Strauss 1931.

3.2-6 1. te’vidur (imperfect: Whitney 1889, 237) I follow Maue (1976) and BU(M); editions
of BU(K) read te vidur (perfect); Maue (1976, 110) notes that the accent te makes the
perfect impossible.

speech: the reference here, and in parallel passages elsewhere in the Upanisads, is not
to the external organs such as the eye or the ear but to the faculties of speech, sight,
hearing, and thought, and to the power of breathing that gives vitality to all the facul-
ties (Int., p. 22). These vital functions are here and elsewhere personified and are often
referred to as “deities” (cleva): see BU 1.3.9 n. Discussions of the superiority of breath
over the other vital functions are frequent: AA 2.1.4; BU 1.5.21; 6.1.1-14; CU 5.1.6-
5.2.2; KsU 2.13; 3.3; PU 2.1-4.

Udgatr: see Int., p. 18.

3.7 1. vr in Maue (1976) - navidhyatsan , - navivyantsan , -navidhyantsan, -ndvklhyan.

3.8 Ayasya: this etymological play derives the term for the breath within the mouth (aya-
sya) from ayam (“here”) asye (“within the mouth”); the term is further seen as related
to a well-known seer Ayasya Atigirasa, the latter term being derived from “of the bod-
ily parts” ( ahga ) “the essence” (rasa). Titus breath is seen as what gives life and vital-
ity to the various parts of the body. In the parallel passage at BU 1.3.19, a part of the
body from which breath departs is said to wither.

3.9 this same deity: i.e., the breath within the mouth. The term devata (and also deva: lit.,
“god” or “deity”) is used in these texts with a broad range of meanings that may appear
confusing to the English reader with a restricted notion of divinity. Often, as in this and
the following passages (§§ 10-18), the term refers to various vital functions of the
body. In other instances, the term is used with reference to cosmic realities, such as the
sun, moon, and fire. In a similar way, the phrase “the divine sphere” ( adhidaivam ) re-
fers to these cosmic entities, as opposed to what pertains to the human body
(i adhydtmam ): see BU 1.5.22.

3.11 1. vr in Maue (1976) -thaitd.

3.14 1. vr in Maue (1976) adds ha.

3.16 1 . vr in Weber candram.

3.17 supply of food: I translate the somewhat unclear compound annadya as “supply of
food” or “foodstuff.” The first term, anna, means “food”; the second term may be ei-
ther adya or adya (Rau 1957, 34) and may mean “fit to be eaten” or simply “food.”
What the compounding of these terms specifically means is unclear. Sometimes the
compound appears to be synonymous with the simple anna (“food”). I think, however,
that the expression has the meanings of ‘the food that is under one’s control” (that is,
food that one can consume independently, as opposed to food that one must receive

490

Notes

BU 1.3.26

from others) and •‘foodstuff’ (that is, anything that may be used as food). Since I wrote
the above note, the detailed study of the terms anna and annadya by Weber-Brosamer
(1988) has come to my attention. His conclusion parallels mine in viewing the two
terms as distinct, annadya referring to “Nahrungsmittel.” See also Willman-Grabow-
ska 1927-28, 2, 47-50; she concludes that the compound may mean an abundance of
food.

3.18 1. Senart (1934) -visan (without comment; oversight?)

3.19 Ayasya: see BU 1.3.8 n.; cf. CU 6.1 1.

3.20 Brhatl : a type of meter with thirty-six syllables in a stanza of four lines with eight,
eight, twelve, and eight syllables, respectively. The term can also mean “large” or
“great”.

3.21 1. BU(M) adds ha.

Brahman : the term here means a sacred utterance, especially the ritual formulas con-
tained in the Vedas. In this sense, the term is often used as a synonym of Veda. The
transition, however, from this and similar meanings to “formulation of truth” (see BU
2.1.1 n.) and finally to the abstract meaning of the source of reality or the absolute re-
ality is made easily and imperceptibly; often several of these meanings appear to oper-
ate at the same time. See Hillebrandt 1926; Gonda 1950; Thieme 1952.

3.22-23 And it is .. . it is the High Chant-, see CU 1 .6.1-8 for a parallel text.

Saman: a liturgical text that is sung, as opposed to others, such as Rg and Yajus, that
are recited. The Samans are contained in the Samaveda. See Int., p. 8.

held up: the prefix ut in Sanskrit can indicate several related senses, including up, high,
and loud. This allows it to be connected with uttabdha (‘held up”).

3.24 King Soma: Soma, the drink that was at the heart of the vedic ritual (Int., p. 19), was
divinized early in vedic mythology. He is often identified with the moon, and “king” is
frequently attached to his name. See Macdonell 1898, 104-15.

make my head shatter apart: this expression has been subject to much discussion. The
Sanskrit verb vi-^pat can have the meaning “fly off in many directions” or “burst
asunder.” The expression, as Insler (1989-90) has pointed out, may have been used
metaphorically at first to mean something like our colloquial use “blow your mind” or
“go nuts.” Thus, when one inquires too much about things better left alone, one may
say “you will go crazy if you continue to think about it” (see this usage in BU 3.6.1).
The metaphor may have been turned into a threat and a curse with fatal consequences
later on, and the myth of the shattering of Sakalya’s head (see BU 3.9.26) may have
been the basis of this transformation.

3.25-26 wealth, gold. . . tone: the connection between “wealth” (sva) and “tone” ( svara ) is
established by their phonetic similarity in Sanskrit. In a similar way, “gold” ( suvarna )
is related to tone.

voice, speech: throughout this passage, the translation uses “speech” and “voice” to
translate the same Sanskrit word vac, a word that captures both meanings.

3.26 1. vr in Mauc (1976) suvarna. — 2. vr in Maue (1976) ha.

491

BU 1.3.28

Notes

3.28 purificatory lauds \pavamana or bahispavamana]: a set of ritual formulas sung at a
Soma sacrifice (see CU 1.12.4 n.; 2.2.1 n.). The entire ritual is too complex to be de-
scribed here. For a description (which may be too technical for the ordinary reader),
see Kane 1 962-75, ii, 1 166-70.

Prastotr : one of the Samavedic priests, the chief among whom is the Udgatr. See Int.,

p. 18.

Introductory Praise: the first of the five parts into which a Saman is divided. For a
detailed description, see CU 2.2.1 n.

world conquest: the possession of a world or a living space ( loka ) is one of the main
objectives of the vedic religious practice. Proper rituals, ritual knowledge, and a son
are all said to assure a person of such a world after death. For extended meanings of
this term, see BU 1.4. 16. For a detailed discussion, see Gonda 1966.

4.3 1 . vr in Maue (1976) aiprcchat. — 2. vr in Maue ( 1 976) -brgalam iva, -vrgalam iva.

space hare: probably a reference to the space within the heart. There are frequent ref-
erences to copulation taking place within the heart: SB(M) 10.5.2.1 1.

4.4 1. Maue (1976), vr in LV rsabha. — 2. Maue (1976) valave vr in Maue (1976) va-
lave~. — 3. vr in Maue (1976) vasta. — 4. BU(M), vr in LV avir itaro [i.e., aviritara
Ml-

4.5 From this “creation” came into being: the term “creation” probably refers both to the
physical creation and to the term “creation” (BU 1.2.1 n.), highlighting the close asso-
ciation in vedic thought between an object and its name (see also BU 1.4.1). The same
close connection is found in the frequently used expression “name and visible appear-
ance” ( [namarupa ) to indicate a distinct physical reality (e.g., BU 1.4.7). This account
of creation shows how both things and their names originated.

4.6 1 . vr in Maue ( 1 976) hy evani. — 2. Maue ( 1 976) omits sarvam.

churned like this: this is a good example of the oral nature of these texts. The reciter
would have demonstrated, by churning with his palms and blowing with his mouth,
exactly what “like this” meant. The reference is to how a fire is produced by using a
fire-drill, which consists of a bottom slab with a center depression on which a long
stick is twirled either with the hands or using a string wrapped around it. The resultant
friction ignited the tinder placed on the slab. The blowing with the mouth would make
the fire blaze. The depression on the slab is often compared to a vagina, and the
churning stick to a penis. The entire production of fire by this method has highly sex-
ual connotations, as suggested by the rest of this passage dealing with semen. The fire
that chars the depression in the slab makes it smooth and without fibrous material
(hair), just like the insides of a vagina; the text also points out the original reason why
the mouth and palms lost their hair. Here, too, the oral nature is evident, because the
text only says: “the inner sides of both these are without hail 1 ’; the reciter would then
be pointing to his palms and mouth. See Note on the Translation, p. xxi-xxii.

Food and eater: see BU 1.2.5 n. For an explanation of how the elements of the uni-
verse constitute food and cater of food, see AA 2.3.1.

gods superior to brahman: see BU 1 .4. 1 1 .

492

Notes

BU 1.4.12

4.7 1. Muller (1879-84), Bohtlingk (1889a) asau natna (for the compound asaunama).
— 2. vr in Maue (1976) eva.

name and visible appearance : see BU 1.4.5 n. The term rupa has been traditionally
translated as “form.” I believe that this is misleading, especially if we give “form” a
philosophical, or even Aristotelian, connotation. Bodewitz (1985) has shown that
visvariipa (lit., “omniform”), a term used especially with reference to the sun (see, e.g.,
CU 5.13.1) and gold, actually means having many shining colors, and therefore glit-
tering or dazzling: “Evidence for the interpretation of the -rupa compounds as refer-
ring to color and outward impression (‘glitter’) rather than to form has been adduced
from the oldest Vedic literature” (Bodewitz 1985, 16). The term rupa may refer to
more than mere color (e.g., also to shape; see Geldner 1911, 128, n. 694), but it clearly
indicates the way something appears to our sight (see BU 1 .6.2).

termite : the meaning of the term visvambhara (also at KsU 4.20), here translated as
“termite,” is unclear. Suggested meanings include “fire,” “insect,” and “scorpion”: see
Hume’s note to BU 1.4.7 and Frenz’s (1968-69) translation of KsU 4.20. The term
may refer not specifically to termites, but to ants and anthills in general.

4.8 it is dearer: on the self as the most dear thing, see BU 2.4.5; 4.5.6.

4.9-10 the Whole: the exact sense of the term sarva, here translated as “the Whole,” has
been much debated. As Gonda 1955a has shown, the term in its earliest usage did not
mean “everything” but carried the sense of completeness, wholeness, and health. It is,
thus, opposed to what is partial, broken, sick, or hurt. In the Upanisads the term is used
to indicate not all things in the universe but a higher-level totality that encompasses the
universe. Gonda (1955a, 64) observes that the phrase sarvam khalv idam brahma at
CU 3.14.1 does not mean “‘Brahman is everything here,’ but ‘Brahman is the com-
plete here, this whole (one),’ or: 'Brahman is what is the whole, complete here, is what
is entire, perfect, with no part lacking, what is safe and well etc., i.e. Completeness,
Totality, the All seen as the Whole.’” Unless the context dictates otherwise, I translate
sarvam throughout as “the Whole” and the phrase klam sarvam as “this whole world.”
To the English reader the term “whole” should evoke the senses of totality and com-
pleteness (all there is), as well as perfection, soundness, and wholesomeness.

4.11 1. Senart (1934), vrin Maue (1976) y ad y ad api.

4.11 In the beginning . . . better than him: brahman, the source of the universe, is here con-
nected with both the priestly power and the Brahmin class (see BU 1.4.15), while the
ruling power and the Ksatriya class are connected with the gods. Thus the Brahmin be-
comes the source or womb (yoni) of the Ksatriya, even as the Ksatriya surpasses the
Brahmin in power. On a Brahmin prostrating himself before a Ksatriya, see Rau 1957,
70. Note that here and in the following paragraphs the terms for the power or state of a
Brahmin, Ksatriya, etc. ( brahma , ksatra) can at the same time refer to actual people of
these social classes ( brahmana , ksatriya).

worse [paplyan], better [sreyan]: these terms should be understood within the context
of the class distinctions existent within ancient Indian society. The “worse” are people
who are poor and powerless, while the “better” are the rich and the powerful. The two
terms frequently refer specifically to the economic standing of a person, as at CU
4.16.3. For a discussion of these terms, see Rau 1957, 32-34.

4.12 Vasus . . . Maruts: on these divine groups, see BU 3. 9.2-5; CU 3.16.1 n., 3 n., 5 n.

493

BU 1.4.14

Notes

4. 1 4 1 . vr in Maue (1976) vaclatam .

4.15 1 . LV suggest emending brdhmano to hrdhmanena, and regard ksatriyena . . . sudrah
as an interpolation. — 2. BU(M), Senart (1934), vr in LV yacl it ha (Weber reads yadi
ha vd but under “various readings” (p. 1180) says: “read: yad it ha va.”

find a world: see BU 1 .3.28 n.

after his death: the Sanskrit term antatah may also mean “in the end.” I do not think,
however, that the reference here is to the exhaustion of merit in a heavenly world,
which, within the context of the rebirth theory, causes a man to be reborn again in this
world.

produce whatever he desires: see CU 8.2.

4.16 1. vr in Maue (1976) sajjuhoti. — 2. vr in Maue (1976) nimrndti, nispidti. — 3.
BU(M) places yat prajdm icchate before yat pitrhhyo. —4. BU(M), Senart (1934) add
sarvada.

he makes offerings and sacrifices: the words for making offerings and sacrifices ( juhod
and yajate) are technical terms. The first refers to the pouring of ghee ( homa ) into the
offertorial fire while saying svdhii, while the second is the oblation of various sacrifi-
cial materials while saying vasal. Together they appear to comprehend all forms of
sacrificial acts. Becoming a world here may be a reference to the doctrine of debts:
Olivelle 1993, 46-53.

4.17 1. BU(M), Senart (1934), vr in LV vindati. — 2. BU(M) adds yad idam kim ca.
the full extent of desire: see BU 3.5.1; 4.4.22.

hear it with their hearing: the object of hearing is probably the Vedas, which constitute
a man’s divine wealth.

fivefold: five was a sacred number. The sacrifice is frequently said to be fivefold, and a
variety of reasons are given for this, for example, the five types of vegetable offerings
(TS 6.5.1 1.4). Further, the year consists of the five seasons, the four common ones plus
the rainy season. Here the fivefoldness of reality is reduced to the five components of a
human being. To obtain five one has to combine sight and hearing, which procure the
two types of wealth. The divine weallh one hears is probably the Veda. A man’s com-
pleteness is to be found within himself, and not in a wife, son, or ritual. See Olivelle
1993, 54.

5.1 1 . Bohtlingk ( 1 889a) due me. — 2. Bohtlingk ( 1 889a) trini atma- me. — 3. LV, vr in
Maue (1976) vaitam for vai tam (also at BU 1.5.2).

Why area ’t they exhausted: the reference is to the seven kinds of food. Horsch (1966,
152) thinks that this half- verse is interpolated.

The man who knows it: i.e., food. This is a difficult passage and the translation is un
certain. The sense appears to be that a man who knows food to be inexhaustible and
the reason for its being inexhaustible (i.e., the Person) assures himself of an inex-
haustible supply of food.

5.2 1. Bohtlingk (1889a) due me. — 2. Maue (1976) pralileha-. — 3. vr in Maue (1976)
apunar - for apapunar-. — 4. vr in Maue (1976) api na gacchati.

494

Notes

BU 1.5.14

one should not offer sacrifices endlessly: the meaning of istiyajuka , which I have
translated “offer sacrifices endlessly,” is unclear. Others take isti as “wish” and trans-
late: “one should not sacrifice to obtain a wish.” But the context favors interpreting isti
as sacrifice. Perhaps the meaning is that the new- and full-moon sacrifices are suffi-
cient, and one should not sacrifice all the time. A similar view is expressed later with
reference to the offering of milk during a whole year, the author asserting that one
needs to do that just once.

All beings depend . . . that do not: the statement that those who breathe, as well as those
that do not, live on milk is unclear. Perhaps those that do not breathe may be fetuses,
who live on the mother’s blood (= milk), or plants that live on milky sap.

repeated death: see BU 1.2.7 n.

Person: I regularly translate the Sanskrit term purusa as “Person” unless the term re-
fers clearly to a male human being. The term literally means “man,” but in this litera-
ture it has cosmological and cosmogonic dimensions and often refers to the creator.

5.3 1. Bohtlingk (1889a) trini atma- me. — 2. vr in Maue (1976) blur ety for blur ity.
— 3. Bohtlingk (1889a) upasrsto. — 4. vr in Weber hyantam. — 5. Senart (1934)
tanmayo.

Every sound . . . the latter is not: the phrase “for the former is fixed up to its limit [i.e.,
on speech], whereas the latter is not [fixed on anything] ” is extremely o